Blessings from Fire
by blackwolf1087
Summary: With the Lestranges dead, Hermione and Tetsurou endeavor to make decisions for their future together while navigating social customs from Britain and Japan. Is it possible for Hermione to help Britain from afar? For Tetsurou to live in the nonmagical world with a soulmate so entrenched in the magical one?
1. Preface

A/N: Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

This is the preface of the sequel to Trial by Fire. If you have not read that, please go read it first! You will be confused, otherwise.

* * *

"Tetsurou!" Hermione raced through her soulmate's house, thankful that his parents weren't home.

She slammed open the door to his bedroom, clutching Minerva's letter in one hand. She'd written to the headmistress the week after Bellatrix's death and was thrilled the reply had come so quickly.

Crookshanks looked up at her in alarm from his position on Tetsurou's bed, but Tetsurou himself merely set down his stirring rod and began to turn toward her. He'd probably felt her coming through the bond.

Hermione couldn't hold in the news. "Minerva says that she'll sign all the paperwork for me to do my last year self-study, but I'll have to go back to take my NEWT's with everyone else."

Relief flooded the bond as Tetsurou looked up from his potion, quickly casting a stasis charm on it. "That's wonderful news!"

Hermione grinned and nodded, "Isn't it, though?" She glanced back down at the letter, then bit her lip nervously, "She has one condition, though."

Tetsurou's mood changed instantly and he eyed her warily. _Why is she nervous?_ "What's the condition?"

"She wants to meet you first." Hermione looked back up at him, trying to watch his face carefully and gauge his reaction. He'd already missed so much practice…

Tetsurou sat down on his stool with a sigh. He was silent for a while, then shrugged, "I guess I'm going to England, then."

"Scotland, actually. Though the Weasleys live in England and we'll probably stay with them, if we go visit Hogwarts." Hermione's eyes widened. She was rambling again. She stopped abruptly, then added, "Arigatou, Tetsurou."

He tilted his head back and groaned, "How many people, exactly, will I be meeting?"

"Well… Harry says everyone wants to meet you, really, but if it's too much…"

"Hermione…"

"Just the Order. And some of the D.A."

"Hermione."

"Oh, fine, it's a lot of people, but most of the time we'll just be with the Weasleys. You've met several of them already either in person or on the mirror. You'll meet everyone else all at once, at the reopening party for Hogwarts." Hermione handed him a parchment invitation. "You're invited as my plus one."

 _Parchment? Antiquated Brits…_

He skimmed the parchment, then both looked and felt overwhelmed. Hermione sighed. "Is it too much? I'm sure Minerva just wants to meet you, she would still let me take the courses—"

"It's fine." Tetsurou rubbed the back of his head. "Just… a lot to take in. I've never been outside Japan before, much less invited to a high society event in a foreign country."

"It's hardly a high society event—"

"Is everyone invited?"

"Well, probably not…"

"Will press be there?"

"Most likely…"

"It's a high society event." He tapped a line on the invitation. "It even says to wear your best robes. Robes! Like I have any of those."

Hermione giggled, trying to picture Tetsurou in the British garments. "Any formal clothing will do. It doesn't have to be robes. I wore a muggle dress to the TriWizard Ball."

Tetsurou paused. "Ok, that…helps." A slow smirk spread across his face, "So kimonos?"

Hermione's brain stuttered to a halt. Tetsurou. In a kimono. "Yes." She swallowed hard, not even trying to hide how much she liked that idea. He had already felt it through the bond, anyway. "That would work."

"If I'm going as your plus one, we should match."

Match? "You…want me to wear a kimono, too?" She blinked at his clear arousal at the idea. "…ok, if it would make you that happy."

"It would." He grinned at her, then looked back down at the invitation. "August 23rd?! That's in like, five days, Mio."

She winced. "I know it's last minute, but they just finished the castle today and they didn't want to hold it the weekend before school started—things would be too busy then. And Kingsley already arranged the portkey for us, but since it was such short notice he didn't really have time to check on our schedules, so he just set it up to leave Friday morning and then bring us back Monday morning."

Tetsurou threw his head back and groaned. "So we have three days before we leave for England."

"Yes."

"And I'm going to miss another two days of practice."

"Gomen." She really did feel guilty about that, but it's not like Kingsley could have known.

"I'm telling coach that your crazy aunt and uncle back home are demanding to meet me and booked us roundtrip flights for this weekend and won't take no for an answer."

Hermione laughed, "They're not blood relatives, but it's close enough to the truth, so why not."

Tetsurou stood up with a sigh, giving his potion one last longing look. "Come on, then, we better go shopping for some kimonos."


	2. The Burrow

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the familiar surroundings. She had never imagined that she would have been away from the Burrow for this long. The hodgepodge of buildings stacked on top of each other was always disconcerting after being around muggle architecture for months, but it evoked more homesickness from her at the moment than anything else.

"How is that even standing?" Tetsurou was eying the Burrow with incredulity.

Hermione laughed. "Magic, of course." She began the long trek up the dirt path, levitating her trunk and Tetsurou's behind her. "Come on."

"Right. Why bother asking." Hermione felt Tetsurou trudge along behind her. "And I assume they have some of those wards you're so fond of so that no passersby happens to notice the architectural wonders?"

"Of course." Though the home's structure was hardly the only thing on the property that needed to be kept away from prying eyes. She could make out some of the Weasleys (and most likely Harry) playing Quidditch behind the house.

Hermione sighed as Tetsurou's anxiety increased with each step. "You'll be fine."

"Every single one of these people is ridiculously fond of you and far more advanced than me in magic. You can't prove that."

"They would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know that, they've protected me and healed me and stood by my side when those wizards were after us, it's just…" Tetsurou trailed off, eyeing the distant figures on the pitch with wariness. Hermione sighed. She doubted Tetsurou was going to calm down around the Weasley's for a while.

There was some shouting on the pitch and two of the figure began to fly toward them—one with red hair and the other, black.

"Harry! Ron!" She smiled at the two of them as they landed, both covered in sweat. "Having a good game?"

"Yeah, though George thanks you for your well-timed arrival." Ron rolled his eyes, "Harry was about to catch the snitch, and George didn't want to lose and have to work in the gardens tomorrow."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You could have just caught it before you came to greet me, Harry."

"Nah, I was just doing a feint."

"You were?" Ron stared incredulously at his friend, "You're getting too good at those, mate." Hermione laughed.

Harry grinned sheepishly, then turned to Tetsurou. "Welcome to England, Kuroo-san. We'd love to have you play with us if you want."

Tetsurou rubbed the back of his head uneasily, "Maybe later? I'm always up for a game, but I don't actually know the rules of Quidditch, so…"

"What?!" Ron stared at him, "But you've got the perfect build for a beater."

"Thanks?"

 _He means that as a complement, right?_

 _I assume? It's Quidditch—that's just how Ron thinks._

"They're the defensive players. You like that, right?"

Tetsurou laughed but nodded. "Yeah. At least in volleyball."

"The others are cleaning up at the moment—Molly wanted to start lunch as soon as you arrived—so maybe we can explain the rules over lunch and you can join us after?"

Tetsurou grinned, "That I can do."

They began walking up the path again, and Hermione slipped her hand into Tetsurou's, trying to help him remain calm. She could feel his nerves rolling underneath his skin at the prospect of meeting her adopted magical family, despite the fact that his face remained calm and confident.

Well, first they would need to take their things up to their rooms. Molly would likely be cooking, and Arthur was probably in the shed, and George and the others still showering or on the pitch, and Percy holed up somewhere with a book. It's not like Tetsurou would run into them all at once.

"I assume I'm in Ginny's room?"

"Yeah, and Kuroo-san's with Charlie. Mum figured he'd be the most comfortable there, since they've spent the most time together."

"I appreciate that." Tetsurou stuck close behind her as they walked through the garden, eyeing some of the magical plants warily. There wasn't anything _too_ dangerous in the Weasley's garden, but who knew if they had degnomed it since she was last here.

"Charlie's coming?"

"Not till tomorrow night, but he'll be here all of Sunday, at least." Ron paused at the doorway, throwing an uncertain look toward Tetsurou. "Well, welcome to the Burrow, Kuroo-san. Try not to get overwhelmed by the chaos."

Tetsurou gave him a disgruntled look, "Chaos?" He turned toward her, one eyebrow raised, but Hermione just laughed and tugged him through the doorway.

 _The Burrow is harmless._

The inhabitants, though, not so much. George had been busy.

There was a "Welcome Kuroo-san" banner hanging from the stairs, and that was possibly the tamest decoration. The second the door shut behind her she felt Harry pull her to the side.

 _Chikusho! I suppose this is harmless, love, but chaos is definitely right._

Tetsurou was spluttering behind her, and she quickly turned around to see what had happened.

And promptly burst out laughing.

Tetsurou was covered in red, gold, and black glitter from head to toe. There was smoke circling around him, tiny cats and dragons chasing each other in the fumes.

"What the heck."

"Welcome to the Burrow, mate." George's head popped over the stairwell above. "I would've given 'Mione a welcome back treatment, but she would've killed me, so instead you'll just have to shoulder double the burden." George's grin was dangerous.

Tetsurou's eyes widened and he quickly jumped to the side as George upended a potion over the rail. His dodge was successful, but the sludge was apparently mobile and rather quick. It latched onto his leg, crawling up his torso as Tetsurou tried to shake it off, performing a lovely dance for his amused audience.

Undeterred, the sludge kept climbing until it reached the top of his head. The sludge let out a sigh of success, then slowly seemed to be absorbed by Tetsurou's hair, which in turn began to change colors, shifting through a whole rainbow before settling on a bright Weasley red.

"What did that sludge just do?" Testurou was looking all over himself warily, then patted his head. Harry conjured a mirror.

Tetsurou squawked, "My hair?" He pulled a few strands down in front of his eyes and groaned in dismay. A flash went off from around the corner. Most likely Ginny taking a picture for posterity's sake while the other kept them distracted. Hermione sighed. Ginny'd probably set up a sound barrier, too, our Mrs. Weasley would have come running in by now.

Ron grinned at him, "Welcome to the family. Want me to take your things to your room?"

Tetsurou warily pulled his suitcase closer to him, "I think I'll pass on that offer, thanks."

"Wise choice." Hermione was still doubled over, laughing at the ridiculous picture her soulmate presented. "Come on, I know where Charlie's room is." She looked up at George, "There aren't any surprises waiting in that room, are there?"

"You kidding? Charlie would kill me if I damaged his things."

"That's not a no, George."

"I guess you'll just have to find out then, Granger." His head disappeared.

She rolled her eyes and turned to Harry and Ron, about to demand to know what they'd done to Charlie's room, but stopped when she saw Ron's smug expression and Harry's eyes widen.

"Scourgify."

An explosion of air rocked her forwards, but Harry quickly steadied her.

She turned around and sighed. Tetsurou was now buried under a mountain of glitter. "A word of advice, Tetsu. Never try to clean up something caused by George in a conventional manner."

His head popped out from underneath the glitter with a scowl. "Noted." He shook his head violently, scattering the glitter, but not displacing it. "How do I get rid of this, then?"

Hermione sighed. A banishing spell wouldn't work, but… she conjured a bucket, then made it bottomless. "Accio glitter." It didn't move. She sighed, then transfigured the glitter into colored sand, and tried summoning that. The sand quickly rose and began to spiral into the bucket, slowly revealing Tetsurou's disheveled figure, which was still covered in glitter.

Oh well, it was a start. At least the room was clean again. She handed the bucket to Ron, "You're welcome for cleaning that up before your mother saw."

Ron's eyes widened, "But George did it!"

"And you knew what Tetsurou was about to do and that it would just make the situation worse. Now, I could either tell Molly, or you could tell me what you did to Charlie's room."

Ron glared at her sullenly, "It's just a mistletoe spell with a camera, alright? We really didn't want to risk damaging Charlie's things."

She rolled her eyes, "That's alright, then." Hermione levitated her own trunk along with Tetsurou's, "If you're leaving something out, I'm telling Molly, though." She walked toward the stairs and giggled when Tetsurou quickly followed her, sticking right next to her side.

Ron's defensive voice called after them, "I'm not!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way to Charlie's room.

In the end, the smoke creatures had been easy to dispel, but it had taken her over half an hour to remove the glitter because it had been somehow sentient, as nothing had worked until she had cast confundus. Even now some of it still remained on Tetsurou's clothes, but at least it was no longer coating his skin.

And then there was his hair. She may know a lot of spells, but cosmetic spells were definitely not her specialty. Changing Tetsurou's hair had been a challenge, one that she'd finally given up on once she at least made it normal-ish. It still had dark red highlights at the moment, but Hermione assumed that those would fade in time.

It was good to see George returning to some of his old habits, but she did selfishly wish that it hadn't been at Tetsurou's expense.

Hermione opened the door, then sighed when she and Tetsurou were immediately frozen in place, standing right next to her. She'd taken the camera down, at least, but she'd been distracted from finding the mistletoe charm itself. She'd assumed they would have put it somewhere less cliché.

Hermione sighed, then reached an arm up and around Tetsurou's neck. She quickly pecked his lips, then stepped forward as the spell released. After a few steps, she realized Tetsurou wasn't moving and turned back to Tetsurou.

"Are you still frozen?" He was still standing in the doorway but was staring at her in shock. His emotions were all over the place—surprise, happiness, annoyance

He shook his head, "Gomen." He stepped forward cautiously, "That's only the second time you've been the one to kiss me…" He ran fingers through his messy hair. "I was just startled, that's all. Though I wish it could have been for some other reason besides a mistletoe charm."

Hermione blinked. She'd only once…? The first time would have been after the date... Her mind retraced all of their kisses. He was right. She blushed. That was a foolish oversight. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her, this time giving him a much longer kiss as he wrapped his arms around her.

She pulled away, slightly breathless. "Better?" He nodded. Hermione could feel his desire circling lazily through their bond. "We best not make a habit of it here, though, who knows what the others would do if they saw us."

"So we can make a habit of it elsewhere?"

Hermione blushed. "That's not what I meant." She turned away from him, hurrying to the stairs, "Come on, I'm sure lunch is almost ready."

Tetsurou laughed, "That's not an answer, Mio." He didn't push her on the subject, though, no doubt partially due to his wariness of future pranks. Her soulmate was understandably jumpy as the two of them made their way back downstairs. After he jumped at about the fifth creaking stair, Hermione burst out laughing.

"What?!" He glared at her sullenly. "You're not the one who got covered in glitter, alright?"

"Just stay close, Tetsurou. And be careful what you eat at lunch. Make sure it comes from Mrs. Weasley and no one else."

"What?" His glare morphed into incredulity, "Not even the food is safe?"

"Especially not the food. Of course, they'll get yelled at for altering it, but…" Hermione shrugged, "they'll still mess with it occasionally."

"Lovely."

"You'll be safe during Quidditch, at least. Whoever is on your team won't want to hurt their chances at winning and will defend you."

"I can't wait. You know, traditionally welcoming someone doesn't involve making them want to run away."

Hermione laughed as they rounded the corner and saw Percy sitting at the table, heavily engrossed in a stack of papers. "Well here's the Weasley least likely to prank you, besides their parents, of course. Afternoon Percy."

Percy's head shot up. "Hermione! My apologies, I didn't hear you come in." He sighed and shuffled the papers into a neat stack before standing up and holding out his hand. "Kuroo-san, right? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Percy Weasley. I work at the ministry, and things are a bit hectic right now, I'm afraid. I really should be at work right now, but I've been trying my best to always take my lunch break at home with the family…"

Tetsurou tentatively accepted his hand, shoulders relaxing when nothing happened. "Tetsurou Kuroo. What do you do at the ministry? I'm afraid Hermione hasn't told me much about your job."

"Ah. Well… I've had a recent promotion. I'm the minister's personal assistant."

Tetsurou's eyes widened, "What the heck? No wonder you're busy."

"When did that happen, Percy? Last I heard Kingsley was adamant that he wasn't going to have one."

"A few weeks ago. He collapsed from overwork and Amelia Bones yelled at him for hours."

"What?! No one told me!"

"Well you were in another country. There wasn't exactly anything you could do about it, Hermione. And he was fine the next day."

"Of course." She knew that things would be happening and changing while she was gone, but… she bit her lip. Japan was the right decision. She needed to be with Tetsurou, and he needed to be there. That didn't make it any easier that she couldn't be by her friends' sides.

 _Mio, love? You ok?_

She nodded tightly. Her soulmate first, then her friends and country. If they needed her, she would come, but she had different priorities now. "I'm glad you're there to help him, now, Percy. I know you'll do a wonderful job."

"Hermione? Is that your voice I hear?" Mrs. Weasley came bustling around the corner of the kitchen, a pot in her hands that she quickly set down on the table. "No one told me you'd arrived! I'm sure they were up to no good." She hurried toward Hermione, pulling her into a hug. "You look like you've been eating properly, at least."

 _Eating properly?_

Hermione blushed bright red. She could feel Tetsurou's stare.

 _I'm fine now. Just took a while to adjust to being off war rations, that's all._ She'd been doing better even before she left for Japan, so Mrs. Weasley didn't need to bring it up like that. "I'm doing fine, Molly." It still felt weird to call her that.

The woman looked over her once more but was apparently satisfied because she dropped her arms and turned to Tetsurou. "And you must be Kuroo-san."

Tetsurou bowed his head in respect. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Tutt, tutt." Molly shook her head, "None of that, dearie. You're Hermione's soulmate, which makes you family, and you're of age. Molly will do just fine."

Tetsurou nodded hesitantly. "Thank you."

Mrs. Weasley frowned, "Why you young men feel the need to have such ridiculous hair I'll never understand."

Tetsurou blinked in shock. Hermione laughed, she had wondered how long it would take until Mrs. Weasley voiced her disapproval of Tetsurou's hair.

"It's always been like this? I can't get it to change."

Mrs. Weasley looked excited, "There are some spells—"

"No." She knew Molly always wanted to tame Bill and Charlie's hair, but she wasn't touching Tetsurou's.

Hermione fidgeted when the two turned to stare at her—Molly incredulously, and Tetsurou with one eyebrow raised. "That attached to my hairstyle, love?"

Hermione looked away, "It suits you, that's all."

He laughed as Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Oh, very well, then." She wiped her hands on her apron. "Lunch is almost ready, dear. Would you go tell the others to come down?"

Lunch with the Weasleys was a boisterous affair as always. Everyone kept explaining the wonders of Quidditch to Tetsurou, only rarely mentioning one of the rules of the game. Needless to say, he was very confused by the time the group made it onto the Quidditch pitch.

There were an odd number of players since she refused to play, but Tetsurou was dubbed more of a handicap than an additional player, much to his offense, so the group didn't seem to mind.

"Alright you lot, shirts off." Ron stood next to Ginny and waved his hand at the opposing team.

Hermione groaned. She had forgotten about that Weasley house rule. To make teams easy to remember, whichever team didn't have Ginny automatically went shirtless. And today that included Tetsurou.

She tried to ignore looking at him as he peeled off his shirt but failed miserably when said shirt was suddenly dropped into her lap. She looked up at Tetsurou, startled. "Watch that for me, love?"

"It's just a shirt, Tetsurou." She carefully kept eye contact, refusing to look at his—very fit and attractive—chest. She could feel his laughter through their bond, and mischief danced in his eyes.

Ginny gave a teasing whistle while Harry and Ron laughed.

"That's an awesome mark you've got there, mate." George had walked up to them and clapped Tetsurou on the shoulder. "Mum will go ballistic when she sees it, though. A big tattoo like that on our Hermione?"

Hermione groaned. "Just play your game."

"Of course, can't disobey your missus, right Kuroo-san?" Before Tetsurou could reply, George was hauling him off to where the spare brooms were stacked against the shed.

Hermione sighed, her eyes tracing their bond mark as Tetsurou was pulled away. The dragon looked as fierce as ever, taking up the full right side of Tetsurou's back, its scales rippling as Tetsurou's muscles moved. Hermione swallowed hard and tore her eyes away.

Ginny was watching her knowingly. Hermione's eyes narrowed. The other girl had been the one to suggest the teams, no doubt with this exact result in mind. Before she could confront her about it, though, George and Tetsurou returned, brooms in hand.

"Ready to start this game, everyone?"

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

Thank you NYFanFic, BrownEyesAngel, BloodyInsanity, and MissDoeProngs! I'm glad y'all are enjoying the sequel so far :)

 **UPDATING SCHEDULE:** I've already written the first 20 chapters, so those updates will be about as fast as Trial b/c I just need to do a quick grammar check. After that, though, I'll be writing the chapters as I post, so the chapters will come about once per week. I'll try to hold to that timeline as much as possible, but school and work come first, so some weeks that might not be possible.


	3. Journey to Hogwarts

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione thanked Merlin that there was a spell for putting on kimono, and that Tetsurou's mother had been willing to teach it to her as a peace offering of sorts. It was a bit awkward to stand in place as the fabric swirled around you and pulled tight, but it was much better than figuring out the complicated process on her own. It had been difficult enough convincing her hair to cooperate for the bun.

She had ended up picking a red kimono that had pale gold flowers scattered across the fabric. The design was far simpler than many of the complex ones they had seen in stores, but Hermione liked it that way.

"That kimono is so pretty, Hermione! I'm jealous."

Hermione turned to look at Ginny, who was wearing stunning navy blue dress robes that were ridiculously nice. "Don't be, your dress robes are lovely. When did you get them?"

"The day the Hogwarts Reopening Ball was announced, of course. I had to make sure I got nice ones before all the best ones were gone."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend. "Of course."

"Let's go take the boys' breath away!" Ginny hopped off the bed and grabbed Hermione's wrist, barely leaving her enough time to grab her satchel.

"Ginny!" Hermione stumbled down the stairs after her friend. The second they entered the living room, though, Hermione halted at the intense feeling of appreciation and arousal that erupted over the bond.

She swallowed and met Tetsurou's darkening hazel eyes as he stood up to come meet her. Men's kimonos were much less flamboyant than women's kimonos, but he had chosen to vary the traditional design a bit by making the bottom half red so that it matched her own kimono.

He looked good.

Hermione swallowed as he came to a stop in front of her.

"You look beautiful." His voice was soft and husky, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked away, blushing, as his fingers traced her cheek.

"You don't look bad, yourself."

"Oh, I'm aware of that, love." He smirked, laughing as she looked up to glare at him. "You and me, we'll be turning heads tonight."

Hermione rolled her eyes and swatted his hand away. "With that hair of yours? Hardly." Her eyes took in the rest of the room—it looked like everyone was already here, even Bill and Fleur.

"Cruel woman. I would be offended if I didn't know you actually liked my hair."

"It's a bird's nest."

He laughed, "You're going to have to be a bit more creative than that, love. I've heard that one plenty of times."

She cocked her head to the side. "It looks like a hippogriff decided to groom half of your head."

Tetsurou snorted. "Alright, that one's new, at least." He grinned at her. "The French witch told me she would fix the red highlights after tonight—something about those marrying into this chaos needing to stick together, but also that the red highlights looked good with the kimono, so it would be a shame to get rid of them before the ball." Tetsurou looked bemused. "This whole family is bizarre."

"Fleur is rather fashion-sensitive."

Tetsurou gave her a knowing look. "That's one way to put it. It's not just her, though. It really is everyone." He gave a long-suffering sigh. "Their dad keeps trying to corner me and ask about telephones."

Hermione giggled, "He's never used one, so you can't blame him for not knowing about them."

"Their mom keeps telling me that black can't be my favorite color to wear, and that red is already taken, so I have to pick another one."

"She makes Christmas sweaters. Black isn't very festive, Tetsurou."

"Charlie talks about dragons in his sleep."

"Really?" Hermione blinked in surprise. "What does he say?"

"Usually he's insisting that they eat something besides him."

Hermione giggled, "Fair enough, I suppose."

"Sometimes he's making noises imitating them, though. It's very disturbing when it wakes you up and you're all disoriented from lack of sleep. His imitations sound disturbingly real."

Now she was outright laughing, "Does he try to roar or something?"

"Alright everyone, gather around!" Mr. Weasley was waving a ball of twine in the air. "It's almost time to go, so make sure you're holding on tightly." He handed the ball to Bill, who grabbed one end before passing it down the line.

"You lot really will make anything into a portkey."

"Of course. They're useful." Hermione accepted the twine from Harry, then held it out to Tetsurou. He sighed and took hold of it.

"You're not feeling queasy, are you love?"

"I'll be fine, Tetsurou. Don't worry, I know where to aim if my stomach becomes upset."

"George?" Tetsurou's smirk was mischievous.

Hermione laughed and nodded, "Of course. He deserves some payback."

A second later she felt the familiar tug at her navel and her grip tightened on the string as she and the rest of the Weasley gathering began to spin through the air. Thankfully the trip didn't last long. Not so thankfully, she now felt like she was going to throw up, and George was nowhere in sight. She swallowed hard, forcing the bile back down.

"Do you have any idea how unpleasant it is to have that acidic feeling at the back of your mouth as if you're about to throw up, yet to know that there's nothing you can do about it?"

Hermione laughed shakily, looking up to see Tetsurou frowning in disgust. "Gomen, Tetsurou. I'm feeling a bit better now, though."

He swallowed hard, "I can tell. Not really helping my throat, though." He sighed. "This isn't going to be a permanent thing, is it?"

"I hope not."

The Weasleys all appeared to be dusting themselves off, and Fleur was fussing over Bill's robes. She didn't appear to be affected by the travel in the slightest, despite the fact that their baby was due any day. Hermione shook her head. No doubt spells were involved.

"Over here, visitors over here!" Hagrid's booming voice sounded out from near the lake. Hermione smiled. It was good to see him again. "Ah, the Weasleys! Just on time you lot, come on then." Hagrid waved them over and they all gladly trudged toward the lake.

 _He's huge._ Tetsurou made a strangled sound beside her. _I assume he's the half-giant?_

 _Yes. He wouldn't hurt a fly, though._ Hermione threaded her fingers through Tetsurou's, pulling him toward Hagrid and the lake.

"Two to a boat, now. You're all quite a bit bigger than when you were eleven."

There was general laughter, though Tetsurou gave Hermione a confused look.

 _It's four to a boat in your first year. We take carriages every other year, but it really is a better view when you approach by boat._

"Hermione!" Hagrid beamed at her, and she went over to give him a hug, wincing when his arms squeezed her a bit too tight.

She gasped out, "It's good to see you, Hagrid."

 _Ouch. What was that about not hurting a fly?_

 _Shut up, Tetsurou. He didn't mean to._

 _Tell that to our ribs._

"And you must be this Kuroo-san everyone's been saying is her soulmate." Hagrid frowned at him. "You better be worth it, taking her away from us like that." He turned to her, "Though I'm happy for you, of course."

"Thank you, Hagrid. Tetsurou's father helps relocate magical creatures to safe environments in Japan."

Hagrid immediately brightened. "Does he, now?" He reevaluated Tetsurou. "Well, I suppose you can't be all that bad, then." Hagrid nodded his approval, "Two to a boat, then. Go on."

"Will you be coming inside later, Hagrid?"

"Nah, that's not really my thing, but I'm glad I got to see you two."

Hermione gave him a quick side hug, "I'm glad too, Hagrid. We'd be happy to talk later if you do feel like coming inside."

"Thank you, thank you. But go on, now. You're holding up the others."

Hermione smiled and nodded, pulling Tetsurou toward the boats. The two of them sat down in one of the boats, and Hermione giggled at Tetsurou's startled yelp when it started to move on its own.

"What the heck?"

"It's magic, Tetsurou."

"But why? Why couldn't we just row ourselves?"

"Because this way we can enjoy the view more."

Tetsurou sighed. "Right." He looked back to where Hagrid was greeting others, his booming voice carrying out across the water. "I've seen him before. In your dream of the Battle at Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Voldemort made Hagrid carry Harry's body back to the castle."

"Because there's not a spell for that."

Hermione shrugged, "Precisely why he saw it as more demeaning to have Hagrid do it."

Tetsurou closed his eyes and sighed. Hermione knew he could feel her own nervous anticipation about being back at Hogwarts. His own emotions were a jumble of nervous anticipation and unease. "It's weird being here. Because of your memories and dreams I already feel like I've been here so many times, yet…I haven't."

His eyes widened as the boat turned around a hill, suddenly bringing Hogwarts into view.

It looked magnificent.

The sunset glowed behind it as lanterns lit up the pathway leading from the lake. All of the fallen towers were standing tall and complete once again. Soft firelight danced in each one of the windows, welcoming the visitors.

Nostalgic longing washed over her.

She would never go to school here again.

Tetsurou reached across to hold her hand. She could feel his awe, but also his concern.

She brushed a tear away with her free hand. "I'm fine. I just miss it, is all."

"It looks amazing." He paused, turning to look back at the castle. "If you miss it that much, then we'll just have to think of ways for you to keep visiting."

Hermione laughed, "It's hardly that simple, Tetsurou."

"No, but life never is." He smirked at her, "Besides, we're not just anyone."

She laughed at his cockiness. "No, no I suppose we're not."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

Some of the Blessings chapters are a bit shorter like this, but most will be around 5k words as in Trial.

NYFanFic, I'm glad you're enjoying the lighthearted tone! There will definitely be more of that throughout this fic as Hermione and Tetsurou get to know each other better :)

BrownEyesAngel: I'm glad you enjoyed the mistletoe scene :) And yes, Hermione is none too happy about missing out on news.


	4. The Hogwarts Ball

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

When the boat touched the opposite shore, Hermione immediately noticed that the doors to the castle were still closed. Everyone was milling around in front of them, chatting happily and enjoying the late summer breeze as the sun set behind the castle.

Tetsurou stepped out of the boat first, then held out his hands to Hermione. "Need help? I know it's not exactly easy to maneuver in that."

Hermione grasped his hands, and he pulled her up and out of the rickety boat.

She promptly fell into his chest.

"Tetsurou! You pulled too hard on purpose." She stepped back to glare at him.

He smirked and shrugged unrepentantly. "Maybe. Or maybe you were just that desperate to be in my arms."

"Hermione! Kuroo-san!"

Hermione gave Tetsurou one last glare, then turned to see who was calling them. "Neville! Luna!" She waved at the two, then raised her eyebrows when she noticed that they were holding hands as they approached. "When did this happen?"

Neville blushed bright red and starting stuttering. "W-well.. um… aft-after…"

"Apparently silly Neville didn't realize we were soulmates." Luna shook her head. "I knew it would take him a long time to realize it, but I was getting impatient, so I told him."

Hermione started laughing. Tetsurou shook his head beside her. "And when did you know this, Luna?"

"When I met him, of course. Doesn't everyone?"

"I think for most people it's a bit different when you meet at a younger age."

"Well that's just odd." Luna shook her head, her radish earrings swaying from side to side. "No matter, though. I'm just glad Neville finally understands." She patted his shoulder and Neville turned bright red again.

"I'm glad for you both."

"Thanks. It's… um." Neville rubbed the back of his head. "Well I came over to say that it was good to see you both healthy again."

"Thanks, man. I'm definitely glad to be out of a bed, myself."

Neville grinned, "Just try to avoid Madam Pomfrey. She'll try to pull you away for another checkup."

Tetsurou's eyes widened. "Shit. She would be here, wouldn't she?" He turned to his soulmate, "Hermione, you sure we can't go back home?"

"No, Tetsurou." She wasn't exactly sure which 'home' he meant, but they needed to stay at Hogwarts for now, either way. "Madam Pomfrey won't pull us into the hospital wing, I promise."

"I thought you didn't make promises you couldn't keep."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She won't." Hermione looked back to Neville, "Is your Gran here?" The fierce woman seemed to enjoy scoping out social scenes like this.

"No, she said she was getting too old for balls. She's keeping Teddy for the night, though."

"Too old for balls, but she has enough energy for that rascal?" Hermione raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Teddy?" Tetsurou was looking between them with a frown.

"Harry's godson." Hermione rubbed her arm uneasily. "His parents died at the final battle." She still didn't like to think about Remus' and Tonks' deaths.

"Gomen." Tetsurou took her hand, threading his fingers through hers and preventing her from rubbing her scar. "I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories."

"Not unpleasant." Hermione shook her head firmly. Tetsurou raised an eyebrow to convey his own skepticism, but he didn't press her further.

Then he frowned in thought, "It was his picture in the ritual, wasn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "They were both good friends to all of us. Wonderful people." She sighed, turning her attention back to Neville. "How is Teddy doing?"

"He's…moody, but doing alright. Well, besides throwing a tantrum any time someone tries to leave. Took us forever to get out of the house."

Before Hermione could respond, Luna blinked and turned around, looking for someone. "Harry should be here. He wanted to talk to you about Teddy, Hermione. Neville, would you go find Harry?"

Neville blinked. "uh…sure." He pulled out his wand and muttered the point me spell, watching as it spun in circles aimlessly. Neville sighed. "Harry's still way too paranoid. Did he have to ward himself against locating spells?"

Hermione giggled as Neville pocketed his wand and then trudged off in dismay. "I assume Harry's trying to avoid reporters still."

"And nargles. He keeps getting infested."

"…Of course."

The three of them stood in awkward silence for a minute, Luna peacefully smiling at them.

Tetsurou cleared his throat awkwardly but didn't seem to know what to say.

 _I know she's a good friend, but are awkward silences just a thing with her?_

Hermione sighed. _Not always, but they do happen sometimes. Just wait for Neville, he shouldn't be too long. Harry couldn't have gotten far._

"Found him!"

Tetsurou breathed a sigh of relief as Neville became visible through the crowd, a bewildered Harry in tow.

Luna smiled at them. "Wonderful. Harry, we were just talking about Teddy. You wanted to talk to Hermione about Teddy, didn't you?"

Harry gaped at her. "Well, yes, but how did you…?" He shook his head. "Never mind; I suppose it's not important."

Harry fidgeted where he stood, opening his mouth a few times only to close it again without speaking. Hermione shook her head at her best friend's antics, "What did you want to talk about with Teddy?"

"It's just…." Harry sighed. "Sorry, I was trying to wait for the right time or until Teddy was doing better or something, but Luna's right, I really should just go ahead and ask." He ran a hand through his hair. Hermione absently noted that Ginny would be dismayed by its messy state. "Tonks was really proud that her father was muggleborn, you know?" Hermione nodded. "And I think she would want Teddy to know all about muggles, but… I'm not the best for that. I mean, I'm better than the Weasleys, but that's really not saying much. So I was wondering if you would help me? Maybe watch him some once you have your own place, or a place with Tetsurou?"

"Of course!" Hermione shook her head, "Harry, I'd be glad to help with Teddy. Why were you so nervous to ask me about that?"

His eyes darted between them uneasily, then he took a deep breath and forged ahead. "I also wanted to ask you to be his guardians if anything happens to me."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Harry…" she swallowed. "I'll be glad to look after Teddy, but if anything happens to you, I'll be avenging you. You know that."

"You'll be in Japan. You'll have a safe place far away from the country that keeps taking people away from him."

"They've followed me there before."

"Bellatrix is a maniac. Please, Hermione. We both know the chances are slim, but I need to know that someone will prioritize him over everything else if the worst does happen."

There was a strained pause as Hermione stared at her best friend. If she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure if she'd be in any shape to support Teddy if Harry was killed.

"We'll do it." Tetsurou's hand squeezed her shoulder and she could feel him projecting calmness down the bond. "We'll be there for him."

Harry's eyes darted to Tetsurou's face and he stared at him, evaluating his sincerity. Finally, he nodded. "Thank you."

Luna smiled. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it? And now you can enjoy the ball, Harry." She patted him on the shoulder, then drifted off.

Harry sighed. "Maybe we could stop by and see Teddy before you leave in the morning?"

Hermione nodded, "I'd like that. It would be nice to see him again, though we are leaving fairly early."

"Madam Longbottom has already invited us over to breakfast. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry and his procrastination. Some things never changed. "Well, good to know, I suppose."

Harry grinned at her sheepishly, but before he could say anything they were distracted by the castle doors slowly beginning to open.

Minerva stood in the doorway, smiling at them all. "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all back to Hogwarts tonight. The school has faced many hard times, as have we all. I ask you to reflect on the past as you pass the monument for the Battle of Hogwarts at the entrance, but then to leave that past behind and rejoice with one another as you enter the Great Hall." A monument? Harry and Ron hadn't mentioned that. "Tonight is a time when we can put those times behind us and focus on joy, friendship, and rebuilding for the future. The doors of Hogwarts are open once more."

On cue, music began to float out from inside the Great Hall. Minerva stepped aside, beckoning those nearby her to walk through the doors.

Tetsurou bowed to Hermione, then held out his hand, "Care to accompany me?"

She laughed, accepting his hand, then blushed slightly when he kissed it. "I can hardly abandon my soulmate to find another date."

He winked at her. "We both know you can't get enough of me."

"Hardly. I just don't want to inflict your presence on anyone else."

"Just keep telling yourself that, love." He wound his fingers through hers, then started walking toward the open doors.

As they approached, Minerva looked up and noticed them, "Hermione! It is good to see you back." The professor's eyes turned to observe Tetsurou, cat-like. "Care to introduce me to your young man?"

"Prof-" Hermione cut herself off when her professor's lips tightened in annoyance, "Minerva. This is my soulmate, Tetsurou Kuroo. He specializes in potions." Which Hermione was betting her professor already knew from Order gossip, but it didn't hurt to include.

"I see." Tetsurou gave her an easy-going smile, causing Minerva to frown. "You'll have your hands full with this one."

"Oi!" Tetsurou's eyes widened as Hermione burst out laughing.

"I think I can handle him." Hermione grinned.

"Of that I have no doubt." Minerva nodded and smiled at her student. She opened her mouth, about to say something else, then clearly decided against it, saying instead, "Welcome home."

Home. Hogwarts really had been that for several years. "It's good to be back." Hermione smiled slightly as her professor gave a tight nod, then turned to talk to someone else.

"What the heck? I didn't do anything!" Tetsurou waved his arm around in agitation while Hermione laughed at him.

"She's been a professor for a very long time, Tetsurou. Is it really so shocking that she's quick to figure people out?"

"But teachers love me! I'm a good student."

"Just keep telling yourself that." Hermione pat his shoulder consolingly, then began to pull him closer to the doors.

"Not funny." He grumbled but let himself be pulled forward. Hermione rolled her eyes as his continued indignation flowed through the bond.

The second they passed through the doors, though, she halted in her path.

The monument was a statue.

Everyone was standing around, staring at it. Few had pressed forward into the Great Hall itself.

Tears welled in her eyes.

Dobby stood at the front, hands posed in a snap and a Gryffindor scarf around his neck. Behind him were the figures of students, centaurs, and friends. Remus, Tonks, Fred, Sirius, Cedric, Collin, Lavender, Snape, Moody, and Dumbledore. So many friends lost. A single tower stood in the center, names inscribed across all of its stones and at the top were the words "In honor of all who lost their lives defending Hogwarts in the second war against Voldemort. Death is but the next adventure."

It was beautiful, but so very lifelike.

Her heart ached.

Tetsurou's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

 _Mio? You ok love?_

She shook her head, staring at the statue. Her eyes traced the lines of each figure that had been lost.

"We didn't know."

Harry. Hermione turned toward him. Ron was there next to him. Ginny, Neville, and Luna were hovering behind them, the other Weasleys not too far off. She barely registered George's broken face staring at the figure of his twin.

"Apparently Flitwick's been making it in secret all summer, with the help of some of his goblin contacts." Harry ran a hand through his hair, "No one knew anything." He kept glancing at the statue, his eyes haunted and broken.

Ron shifted uneasily beside him, jaw set frim as he avoided looking at the statue.

Hermione launched herself from Tetsurou's arms toward her friends, pulling Harry and Ron into a group hug. A sob wracked through her, and the next thing she knew they were all crying. She felt other arms behind her. Luna. Neville's arm across her shoulder, Ginny across from her.

Hermione didn't know how long they stayed like that, but when they slowly parted from one another the atrium was almost empty. She wiped at her eyes. Neville was still clinging to Luna, as was Harry with Ginny. Ron was shifting on his feet awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at his best friend and sister.

Hermione rolled her eyes. One would think he'd gotten over that awkwardness by now.

Most of the older Weasleys had left, but George was still standing by the statue, Tetsurou standing next to him, talking softly.

Hermione's gaze drifted over the statue once more and she slowly approached it.

Tetsurou looked up at her as she slipped her hand into his.

"You ok?"

"I think. I just…wasn't expecting it."

George let out a soft scoff. "Yeah. You can say that again." He pulled out his wand, twirling it in his hand, then cast a charm. Small fireworks began to explode over the top of the tower. He nodded in satisfaction. "That's better."

Her turned on his heel and strode away from them, toward the Great Hall.

Tetsurou raised an eyebrow at the fireworks. "How long those will last?"

"Who knows, with him." Hermione smiled at them. "I like them, though, so I hope for a long time." She turned to face Tetsurou, "Sorry for leaving you like that."

He shook his head, "I want to be here for you, but I understand that I wasn't there. You needed your friends." He shrugged, "You want me to clear up your eyes? I can do that much, at least."

Hermione laughed weakly, "Thank you, Tetsu. That would be lovely."

He grinned and pulled out his wand, incanting softly. "You're never allowed to learn this spell, you know. I have to feel useful somehow."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure your ego would be fine." She bit her lip, then walked around to the left side of the statue. She gestured at the figures of Remus and Tonks, holding hands with their wands raised. "Those are Teddy's parents."

Tetsurou swallowed next to her and his arm wrapped around her waist. "Thank you for showing me."

Hermione shook her head, refusing to let the tears well up again. "Come on, let's go see the Great Hall." She could explain the other figures later, maybe. She tugged at his arm and he followed her.

"So bossy."

"As if you don't want to see it."

"Maybe." He smirked at her, but that fell away as they took the last few steps into the room.

Candles floated above the dancers, lighting up the whole room. The night sky shown softly above them, stars shining brightly. The tables had been pushed to the edge of the room and were all heavily laden with food. An orchestra was at the front where the teachers' table was normally located. House banners were hung across the front wall, and enchanted figures of the four mascots rollicked across the other three walls. Hermione absently wondered who had figured out that enchantment if Flitwick had been so busy with the statue.

"Amazing, isn't it?" she could feel his awe over the bond.

He nodded. "We certainly have nothing like this in Japan."

She grinned, "I'll have to show you Gryffindor tower some other time. Harry said they've closed off the rest of the castle for tonight as a security precaution."

Tetsurou nodded absently, still absorbing the scene in front of him. She rolled her eyes, then began pulling him toward the tables. Maybe food would help him snap out of it.

Or Slughorn. "Professor!"

The potions professor looked up from where he was pouring himself some punch. "Hermione my dear! Long time no see. And please, it's Horace."

She smiled and nodded, squeezing Tetsurou's hand to get him to pay attention.

 _Ouch! What was that for?_

"Tetsurou, this is my potions professor, Horace Slughorn. Horace," and using that first name felt ten times more awkward than saying Minerva, "this is my soulmate, Tetsurou Kuroo. He'll be taking his mastery exam for potions over the winter break."

Slughorn's eyes lit up. "Oh, will he now?" He set his cup down, punch momentarily forgotten. "That's quite impressive, Mr. Kuroo. Do you have any relation to Yuki Kuroo?"

"Ah…" Tetsurou's blinked in surprise and his eyes darted between Hermione and her former professor. "Thank you, sir. We normally only focus on one subject in Japan, though, so a mastery at my age is normal. And yes, she's my grandmother. I apprenticed under her."

"Her discovery that brewing in kappa shells could be used to enhance a potion's longevity was quite fascinating."

Hermione blinked. Tetsurou had never told her that. She could feel Tetsurou's surprise and pride through the bond.

"Thank you, sir. She always makes sure that I have a few in stock just in case."

"How is she doing? I used to read all of her publications, of course, very interesting material since she likes to use such unorthodox brewing equipment, but I haven't seen anything in the past few years."

"She's doing well for her age, but she can't get out to forage for ingredients as much, so she has to rely on what my father brings her, and he can be rather scatterbrained."

Slughorn nodded, "Of course, of course. And what does he do?"

"He helps relocate magical creatures to safe environments."

"How marvelous! It's a shame he doesn't remember to help your grandmother with rare ingredients, in that case."

"She is quite frustrated with him."

Slughorn laughed loudly, "Of course, of course. Well it was marvelous to meet you, Mr. Kuroo. If you ever need anything from an English potioneer, please contact me and I will be happy to help, even if it's just a letter of introduction. I have many influential students, you know." He nodded at them with self-importance, "I don't want to interrupt your lovely evening, though, so if you'll excuse me." He smiled at them, then picked up his discarded cup and wandered off.

Hermione shook her head fondly. "He's a good man, but he likes to collect people. Apparently you're on his list now, Tetsu. You never told me about your grandmother."

Tetsurou shrugged, "She really doesn't publish much anymore, and I honestly didn't realize that her publications were internationally read." Tetsurou picked up two cups and began to pour them both some punch.

"How can you not know something like that?"

He handed her a cup, "I didn't even know she'd published articles until about two years ago when she started fussing at my dad for not bringing her ingredients." He ran a hand through his hair, "It just never came up."

"I suppose that—"

"Hermione!" She lurched forward as she was tackled from behind. "Your dress is pretty." A giggling Parvati released her and came to stand next to them, followed by the Padma and Hannah Abbott. "Who's this hottie?"

Smug contentment and amusement filled the bond. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her old roommate. Parvati wasn't normally this…effusive… towards her.

Padma sighed. "Please excuse her, we went out for a few drinks before the dance, and she had too many."

"I did not!" Parvati pouted at Padma, then turned back, "Hermionneee… you didn't answer me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. A drunk Parvati. Lovely. "This is Tetsurou Kuroo, my soulmate."

"Lucky…" Parvati whined.

Hannah fidgeted next to her, "So you and Ron aren't together anymore?"

Tetsurou wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, "I should hope not."

"He even has a dreamy voice." Parvati sighed,. "Well, I'll leave you be with your handsome man." She giggled, then skipped off unsteadily.

Padma groaned. "We better follow her to make sure she doesn't do anything too embarrassing." Padma ran off after her sister, and Hannah followed suit after lingering behind for a few seconds to say that it was nice to see Hermione again and meet Kuroo.

"Who were they?" Hermione groaned at the laughter in Tetsurou's voice.

"Parvati, who was drunk, was my roommate at Hogwarts, and then her twin sister Padma. The other girl was Hannah Abbott, who was part of the D.A."

"Roommates for six years? I'm amazed you aren't best friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She stood by us when times were hard, so she's ok once you get past the drama, but my eleven-year-old self thought she was the worst roommate ever."

Tetsurou laughed, "Of course. I bet she took the textbooks at their word, the worst of all evils."

"Shut up." Hermione glared at him, then sighed and acknowledged, "She did. Her sister Padma was a bit better about that, though."

He grinned at her, taking a sip of his drink. "She have any interesting stories? I bet she does after being your roommate for so long."

Hermione blushed bright red, immediately thinking of when she, Parvati, and Lavender had squealed over Lockhart in second year. She winced as a brief pain flashed through her head, then her eyes widened in realization.

Tetsurou burst out laughing. "Aw, don't worry, love. I won't tease you for your childhood crush too much." He smirked, "At least right now. First I need to figure out who this Lockhart is."

Hermione groaned, "Please don't."

His smirk widened. "Now I have to."

"You really don't."

"If you're this horrified, I really do." His grin was sharp as he finished off his cup of punch. "Care to dance?"

She sighed and finished her own punch before banishing their cups. "Will you drop Lockhart if I do?"

"For now, sure."

She rolled her eyes, "I suppose I'll have to take that." She took his hand and followed him to an empty spot on the dancefloor. "Do you even know how to dance?"

Tetsurou smirked at her, "Shouldn't you have found that out before you agreed to dance with me?" His left hand fell to her waist.

"As if you gave me a choice. It was either this or Lockhart." She copied his position.

"I really am going to have to look this man up." He grinned at her, then began moving them through the steps of the dance, "Luckily for you, I do actually know your dances. Mom insisted I learn so that I wouldn't embarrass myself."

"Really? When did you learn?" He was certainly better than many of the Hogwarts boys, which Hermione was thankful for.

"My first year of high school. Grandma told her I was good enough at potions that I would probably go to international conferences one day, so mom taught me then. Apparently you Europeans like to hold balls after conferences."

Hermione laughed, "Poor Tetsurou. I'm glad you know how, though."

"It's the price of being amazing." He gave a dramatic sigh, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you suffered so much."

"Kenma laughed at me for hours."

Hermione giggled, then blinked in surprise at a sudden camera flash off to their side.

"Sorry! It was just such a good picture."

She froze for a second, then shook her head, "It's fine, Dennis. Just send me a copy, alright?"

The young boy nodded eagerly. "Of course! I'll give it to the Weasleys." With that he darted away, camera flashing at another unsuspecting couple.

"You have your own paparazzi?"

Hermione laughed, "No. That's just Dennis. He…" Hermione trailed off with a sigh. "His older brother Colin was part of the D.A. Our youngest active member. He loved taking pictures of everything, and apparently Dennis has decided to follow in his brother's footsteps."

"I see." Hermione could feel his understanding and sorrow. She sighed, "Let's just dance, alright? Enjoy the evening."

Tetsurou grinned at her, "Of course."

Hermione lost herself in the music, dancing beside Tetsurou. She noticed Harry and Ginny dancing a little ways off, as well as George and Angelina, Neville and Luna, and Dean and Seamus. Ron was sitting over by the food with Charlie, talking animatedly about something.

After a few songs, though, she winced when her heel began to develop a blister.

Tetsurou sighed. "I never thought I'd feel the pain of wearing heels for hours. Can't say I'm a fan."

She laughed, "Do you mind if we go find a place to sit for a while, then?"

"Lead the way. And transfigure your shoes."

Hermione shook her head but brought out her wand and transfigured her shoes into more comfortable flats.

"Thank goodness." He grinned at her, "no more heels."

"I can agree with that." She slipped her hand into his, pulling him toward the tables. Her eyes alighted on Kingsley's figure over in the corner, so Hermione adjusted her path to reach him. Asking him about the ambassador position couldn't hurt, and she likely wouldn't see the man again for several months.

"Kingsley!" Tetsurou stiffened next to her.

 _The minister?_

 _You knew we were friends and that you would likely meet him here._

 _A warning would have been nice._

The man in question looked up from his plate, and the woman he was talking to gave a startled squeak when she saw Hermione, then disappeared.

"Thank you for that, Hermione." He smiled warmly at her. "I was beginning to tire from Miss Brocklehurst's political diatribe." His eyes focused on Tetsurou next to her. "Is this your soulmate?"

"Glad to help, even if it wasn't intentional." She motioned vaguely to Tetsurou, "Yes, this is Tetsurou Kuroo. Tetsurou, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Britain's Minister of Magic."

Tetsurou's nerves rolled across the bond, even though his face was the picture of confidence. "It's an honor to meet you."

Kingsley nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I look forward to getting to know you. You must be an amazing young man to be our Hermione's soulmate."

Hermione blushed, but Tetsurou just grinned, "I'll try my best to live up to those expectations."

"Kingsley, I hate to bring up Ministry affairs at the ball, but do you mind talking with me about something briefly? It's just, I don't know when I'll be back in Britain."

The man raised an eyebrow but shrugged and erected a privacy barrier. "I suppose I can mix business and pleasure for you, Hermione. What is it?"

"Tetsurou's mother mentioned that Britain currently lacks a magical ambassador to Japan."

Kingsley's second eyebrow joined the first. "I wasn't under the impression you were interested in that sort of position."

"Well, no. Not in the long run…" Hermione sighed, "To be honest I'm still not sure. But I want to help Britain rebuild even though I'll be living in Japan, and that position would allow me to do so."

Kingsley frowned in thought, "You'd be great at the job, certainly, but I can't appoint someone who hasn't taken their NEWTs…. Then again, I wasn't planning on appointing anyone official until around January, there's just too many other important tasks at the moment…." He paused and tapped his leg absentmindedly. "Would you be able to take your NEWTs over winter break?"

Hermione blinked in shock. Take her NEWTs early? But she already felt a little behind schedule in some subjects since it had been such a long time. She could probably take the Defense one with ease, though… "How many do I need?"

"For a ministry bureaucracy position? Just four."

Hermione nodded absently. She could probably pass Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions. Or Muggle Studies, even. Then she could take Herbology, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes later…

"Can I take five over winter and three at a later date?"

"Eight?!" Tetsurou looked at her in shock. _What the heck, Mio? Why that many? He just said you needed four._

 _I could need the other subjects at a later date, though. It's best to get them all done now._

"I'd have to confer with Minerva, but I don't see why not."

"Then I'll do that."

 _You're insane. Our winter break is going to be miserable._

 _I'll be able to help Britain while in Japan, though. That's the goal._

"Pending your scores, then, consider the ambassador-ship yours. Would you mind holding an intern position in that office until then? It would just be a few meetings here and there. Things that I would have to send someone to attend, anyway."

Hermione nodded. "That should be fine."

Kingsley looked between the two of them, then sighed and stood up. "It was good to talk with you, Hermione, but I imagine the two of you have things to discuss, now. I should probably go mingle with others, either way." He cancelled the ward, nodded to them, then walked away toward where Percy was standing a little ways off with Flitwick.

"Mio…" Tetsurou sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I appreciate it, but you don't need to push yourself. We can find another way if this is too much. You don't have to do this."

Hermione shook her head, "It really is fine, Tetsurou." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "It will be difficult, but it will also be worth it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Her voice was firm. She would find a way to balance these two parts of her life.

"Alright." He grinned at her, "Then I'll support you however I can."

Hermione smiled a bit shyly at him. This whole soulmate and life-partner idea still felt new, but she was happy that she could at least see it working with Tetsurou. That she could make plans for the future with him without having to sacrifice as much as she would have with Ron. "How about we get some food and sit down? That is why we came over here, after all."

"Of course, m'lady." He swept his arm in front of him. "Whatever your heart desires. An evening of fun awaits."

She shook her head with a fond smile. Yes, she could make plans for a future with him.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

NYFanFic: Happy New Year to you, as well! I'm glad you're loving the fic so far! Sorry for the sharp turn into angst in this chapter, but there was still some lighthearted content, too :)

BrownEyesAngel: Charlie's sleeptalking was fun to write, esp. since Kuroo is still intimidated by him. I have plans for Hogwarts, but she definitely will consider Japan her home. That tension is pretty much the core conflict of Blessings, so… here comes the plotline? lol


	5. Longbottom Manor

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione stumbled through the floo, almost running into Harry's back. It had been too long since she had used one of those. She checked to make sure that her luggage was still safely minimized in her pocket, then brushed herself off and quickly stepped to the side to make room for Tetsurou. He stumbled into the room after her, quickly righting himself.

"Well that was disorienting." He began running his hands through his hair, knocking soot free while Hermione giggled. "Remind me why you lot travel this way?"

"It's the easiest way to go somewhere you haven't been. Or to get a group to a location when there's too few people who can apparate. Or when it's a home that has anti-apparition wards."

"Right." He shook his head. "Because you're a paranoid lot. Got it."

Harry was looking between them in confusion, "You mean houses don't have anti-apparition wards in Japan?"

"Not unless there's a good reason, or your family specializes in wards like Akaashi's." Tetsurou shrugged, "It's just common decency to apparate into a backyard or a nearby alley and walk to the house."

"Right." Harry still looked baffled.

Before Tetsurou could explain further, though, the door opened, and Neville came in holding a squirming Teddy, followed by the stately figure of his grandmother. His grandmother who was wearing a vulture on her hat.

Hermione immediately felt Tetsurou's amusement over the bond.

Behave.

But it's a freaking vulture!

"Uncle Hawry!" Teddy was squealing now, and a very exasperated Neville passed him over to Harry.

"He's been asking all morning when you'd get here."

"I suppose it's a good thing we're a bit early then." Harry grinned at Neville, then turned his attention to his godson. His godson whose hair was quickly morphing to Harry's exact shade of brown.

 _What the heck?_ Tetsurou was staring at Teddy's hair, completely aghast.

 _Did we never mention that Teddy's a metamorphmagus? He inherited it from his mother._

 _No! That's like, really rare! And awesome!_

If they hadn't mentioned that, then… _Did we also fail to mention that his father was a werewolf?_ Another wave of shock flooded her system, but he didn't seem to be repulsed. That was good, at least.

 _What?! Not that I care, but that's not inheritable, is it?_

 _Not that we've seen so far. He does get more irritable close to the full moon, though._

 _Great. Ok. Yeah, I can work with that._ She shot him a concerned look, but he just nodded firmly. _I can! It's totally fine._

Neville nervously cleared his throat, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. She was startled when she noticed that Neville's grandmother was frowning at them both. Right. Augusta Longbottom would be one to expect formalities. "Neville, Madam Longbottom, thank you for having us over. Madam Longbottom, may I introduce my soulmate?" At the woman's nod, Hermione continued, waving toward Tetsurou as he stepped forward. "This is Tetsurou Kuroo. He specializes in potions."

The woman sniffed. "I was wondering when you would stop talking to each other and pay attention to us."

Hermione froze. "I apologize." Were she and Tetsurou that obvious? No one else had ever commented… "May I ask how you knew we were communicating?"

"Please, child. You're soulmates and you both looked simultaneously lost in your thoughts. It wasn't hard to put together. You'll have to work on that, but I understand your bond is recent."

"Of course." Hermione wasn't sure how they would work on it, but they would. She didn't want to offend people unintentionally. She would think about that another time, though. She turned to Harry, who was currently trying hard to get his glasses back from a curious Teddy.

"Hello Teddy." Hermione stepped closer to Teddy and Harry, "Do you remember me?"

Teddy frowned, dropping the glasses as he looked at her. She quickly cast wingardium leviosa, saving them from breaking. Harry sent her a grateful look as he plucked them out of the air.

"Auntie."

Hermione smiled. She had only met Teddy a few times, so he was probably just calling her the name he called most of the women in his life, but it was still nice.

"I'm Auntie Hermione."

Teddy scrunched up his nose. "Auntie Nee."

Hermione laughed, "Close enough." She clasped Tetsurou's hand pulling him closer to them. "This is Uncle Kuroo. You can call him ojisan."

Teddy's head tilted to the side, confused. "O…ji?"

"Good job, kiddo." Tetsurou was grinning at the boy, and Hermione could feel his genuine affection over the bond.

Teddy frowned at Tetsurou for a second, then his hair morphed to Tetsurou's black bedhead. Hermione burst out laughing, only to laugh harder after Teddy scrunched his eyes closed and opened them back up to reveal that they now reflected Tetsurou's hazel eyes. "Oji!"

The bond flickered between shock and amusement.

"Do you like my hair, Teddy?"

The boy nodded. "Good."

Madam Longbottom cleared her throat. "I had the house-elves prepare breakfast, if you would follow me."

"Of course!" Harry shifted Teddy in his arms, "It will be nice to set this rascal down."

Neville laughed as they followed his grandmother out of the room. "Yeah, he's constantly moving."

Neville chatted amiably about the games he and Teddy had played that weekend, but the walk wasn't long, and soon they arrived at what was clearly the dining room. The polished oak table stretched out before them, regal chairs lining each side.

The stately effect, however, was somewhat ruined by the purple booster seat at the far right end of the table.

Harry quickly navigated across the room to set Teddy down.

"Why purple?" Tetsurou was looking at the seat with an amused smirk.

Neville sighed. "It's his favorite color. He refused to sit in it otherwise."

That response received one of Tetsurou's barking laughs, but at Augusta's sharp look he quickly quieted down.

"You seem to have quite a boisterous soulmate, Miss Granger."

 _Oi!_

Hermione winced, pulling a somewhat contrite Tetsurou toward chairs across from Teddy's. "Yes, Madam." Augusta sat at the head, with Neville next to her and Harry on Teddy's other side. That left the chair to the left as Hermione's. She sighed.

Sharp eyes watched her for a moment, but the woman was momentarily distracted by the food's arrival at the table. Hermione smiled when Tetsurou jumped slightly in his chair. "Go on, then. Help yourselves to breakfast."

Hermione quickly did so, smiling when she noticed that Harry prepared Teddy's plate before his own. He would be a good father. Not the same as Remus, of course, but… she sighed at her melancholy turn of thoughts.

"When will the wedding be?" Hermione jolted out of her thoughts, turning to Madam Longbottom in surprise. Shock filled the bond. Surely she had misheard her.

 _Wedding?!_ Beside her, Tetsurou's spoon clanged against his bowl as he dropped it.

"I'm sorry?"

"When will your wedding be? Your bond has existed for about a month now, and you seem satisfied with the pairing." Hermione blushed at the woman's words. Of course she was satisfied, but marriage? So soon? They were just eighteen!

"I'm not sure I follow."

Augusta Longbottom arched an eyebrow. "And I was told you were bright." Indignation flowed through Hermione, but before she could respond, the woman continued. "If you don't send out wedding invitations within six months of accepting a soulbond, then people will think you are rejecting your partner."

 _That's...new._ Tetsurou's emotions were all over the place, though only his slightly widened eyes betrayed his panic. _Have I mentioned before how much I hate your society sometimes? Not that I don't want to marry you! It's just so soon._

Hermione felt as if her whole body had frozen, and she barely registered Tetsurou's commentary. This was the first she'd heard of such a thing, but she knew that witches and wizards did seem to marry right after finding their bonded… she swallowed.

"I wasn't aware of such a custom."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "I see. Your heritage no doubt. No fault of your own, Neville should have told you." Her sharp eyes glared at her grandson in a clear reprimand, and he gulped.

"Ah… sorry about that, Hermione. I just assumed you knew. And with all the chaos…"

"That is hardly an excuse, Neville."

"Right." He winced under his grandmother's glare. "Sorry, Hermione."

"It's… not a problem, Neville. Things were chaotic." She tried to calm her mind. Tried to think rationally. Tetsurou's hand found hers. "Are you going to be marrying Luna soon, then?"

He nodded. "We'll send out the details in a few weeks. Still debating the venue."

"I…see." Hermione nodded absently. "That's wonderful. And you, Harry?"

"Ah…" Harry was looking between them all in bewilderment, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "The invitations go out later this week, actually. Ginny's just putting the final touches on them. But we're not getting married until next year, around when we graduate. On the anniversary of the battle, to be exact. Erase old memories with new ones, you know."

"Of course." Had she really been gone so long that she had missed all of these plans? "You couldn't have told me?"

"Well with everything that was happening… and you needed to spend time getting to know Kuroo-san…"

"Harry Potter it would hardly have detracted from that."

He winced. "Right. Sorry. Ginny said you'd want to know, but we really just finalized the details a few days ago."

Madam Longbottom cleared her throat. "Enough about their plans. I asked about your own."

Hermione's hand clenched around Tetsurou's. What in Merlin's name should she say?

 _It's not like we've talked about this… any ideas?_

Tetsurou spoke up, "Customs are a bit different in Japan. We don't get married until finishing college, usually, since we live side by side with non-magicals and such behavior would be very odd for them."

Augusta sniffed. "That may be true, but your customs are also to legally marry within the wizarding society, even if you don't in the muggle world. Do not assume I have not done my research."

Tetsurou winced, and Hermione's eyes darted to him. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, but it usually is at least a few months after you've accepted the bond. And we were forced to rush things…I didn't want to rush this, too."

"So you just didn't mention it."

Tetsurou ran a hand through his hair, tilting his head back, "I was going to, but I wanted to wait for things to settle down a bit more."

"Right." Hermione's brain was in overdrive.

Tetsurou sighed next to her, "The wizarding marriage isn't more than registering your bond with the ministry, alright? Akaashi and Bokuto have done it, but they don't even live together."

That made a bit more sense. It was just a formality. She could do that. She slowly took a bite of her croissant.

"Well that won't satisfy Britain's wizarding society. And Hermione is a very public figure after the war. There will be a huge scandal if people think she might be rejecting her bond." The bread felt dry in her mouth, she swallowed hard.

"I'm not going to marry Tetsurou just to satisfy a bunch of gossips. I will do it whenever we're ready." Hermione glared at the old woman.

Augusta glared back, "Then you can say goodbye to the public's goodwill, as well as that ambassador position that you asked the minister for." Hermione's eyes widened. "Please, child. If you want to hide your political maneuverings, don't have private conversations in balls."

"But you weren't even there! And Kingsley set up a ward!"

"No, but I had friends who were. And wards are never perfect, especially within wards as strong as Hogwarts."

Hermione sighed, "What does our getting married have to do with that position, anyway?"

"Think, child. If you are rejecting your bond with a qualified Japanese wizard, that's tantamount to rejecting Japanese wizarding society. You can't get away with an insult like that and still expect to be the ambassador to Japan."

Hermione swallowed, lost. It made sense, but marriage…? At eighteen? She wanted the ambassador position so that life would be easier for them, not harder.

Tetsurou's thumb rubbed circles gently on her hand. _It will be ok, Mio. We'll figure something out._

"You said people would expect an invitation within the first six months, correct?" Tetsurou's voice was calm and stable, despite the anxiety churning within him.

"Announcements usually come sooner than that but given her publicity people will assume that she's keeping the information quiet until the last minute out of a desire for privacy. So yes, you have six months."

"Alright. Then we have five more months to plan. We'll come up with something in that time." He nodded at the older woman, "Thank you for bringing the issue to our attention."

Augusta stared at him, then nodded tightly. "Perhaps you aren't as useless as I first assumed, boy."

Tetsurou blinked in surprise, and Hermione let out a giggle. If it sounded slightly hysterical, no one mentioned it.

The tension in his shoulders eased, though, as he responded. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Augusta frowned.

Neville snorted.

Teddy laughed at the noise, clapping his hands. "Again!"

The four young adults exchanged looks of fond exasperation.

Hermione retreated into her mind after that, though, mechanically eating the food in front of her. When it was time to leave, both Neville and Harry pulled her aside and apologized profusely, both stating that Augusta hadn't mentioned what she'd wanted to talk to Hermione about. Hermione quietly reassured them that she was fine, even though it was clear both didn't believe her.

She pulled out the portkey that would take them home, waving goodbye to Teddy, who was wailing about people always leaving him. She gave him one last hug, promising to always come back.

His hair was still styled after Tetsurou's.

Tetsurou.

Marriage.

Or no ambassador position.

She could find another job… but this one just felt right. It would let her help England. Be involved with everyone's lives again. Miss fewer important details in England, but still be with Tetsurou in Japan.

Hermione closed her eyes in frustration.

Tetsurou's arms circled around her. "We'll figure it out, love. You don't have to do anything sooner than you want to."

She wanted to believe his words, but her experience told her that life wasn't like that.

Hermione felt the tug around her navel, the telltale sign of the activating portkey, and nausea swept over her as they were transported back to Japan.

* * *

A/N: And the plot thickens :)

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

PersonallyImpersonal: Lol, Kuroo is indeed excellent arm candy :D

BrownEyesAngel: I'm actually still considering 2 options with Malfoy, but it will eventually come up, I promise.

Emma3Mikan: Happy New Year to you, as well :) I'm glad you and BrownEyesAngel appreciated the monument! I actually spent a long time deciding what kind of memorial to do and nothing's felt right

NYFanFic: aw, thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it :)


	6. Back Home

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

The familiar walls of the Japanese transportation center surrounded her as Hermione tried to hold in her nausea. Tetsurou's arms tightened around her, and she took a deep breath, forcing her breakfast back down.

"This is ridiculous. I swear I never got nauseous while travelling before."

"It's alright, Mio. The memories are just too recent, that's all. Your body is still trapped in the cycle or something."

"You know, you sounded like you knew what you were talking about until you added 'or something.'" Hermione stepped back to give him a shaky smile.

He smirked at her, "Well, I know I'm not wrong, but I don't want to leave out the possibility for another explanation."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Tetsurou's eyes watched her carefully. "My place or the Tsukishimas? We have about three hours before practice starts."

Three hours that they had originally been planning on sleeping, but now… her brain was too shocked to even try.

Marriage.

Marriage at 18. Well, 19, by that point, but still.

That just didn't happen in the Muggle world. Not unless the girl was pregnant. How would they explain it to people?

They couldn't.

They needed a plan.

"The Tsukishima's?" She didn't really want to face Tetsurou's parents at the moment, and who knew if one of them would be home.

"Sure. Meet you there?" She nodded, then her eyes widened at the feeling of emptiness when he disapparated. She quickly followed suit.

And promptly threw up as soon as her feet touched the ground. She heard a groan next to her, then Tetsurou was throwing up as well.

"Well I would say it's lovely to see you both, but…"

"Shut up, brat." Tetsurou heaved again next to her, letting out a strangled groan when nothing emerged.

"Kei!" Akiteru scolded his brother. "Are you two alright? I thought you were going to go straight to Tokyo this morning?"

Hermione slowly sat down on the ground, flicking her wrist to pull out her wand and vanish their throw up. Tetsurou groaned again and sprawled out on the ground beside her. "We received some…disturbing news."

"Is everyone ok?" Akiteru's voice was anxious, though Kei just continued to watch them both carefully, resting his volleyball against his hip. Apparently they'd interrupted the brothers' practice.

"Everyone's fine." Hermione shook her head, "thankfully it wasn't that sort of news."

Akiteru visibly sagged in relief.

 _Stop taunting them, love._ Tetsurou didn't move from where he was sprawled, and instead raised his voice a bit so her cousins could hear him, "Basically, the Brits want us to get married. Like, within a year."

"What?" and "What the hell?" immediately answered this pronouncement. Twin stares of disbelief looked between the witch and wizard.

"You don't want me as an in-law? I'm hurt, Tsukki, really."

"Of course I don't, but that's beside the point." Tsukki turned to Hermione in disbelief, "Neesan, is this true?"

"Yes. Apparently, it's custom in England to marry within a year of finding your soulmate. Wedding invitations are sent within the first six months after discovering the bond. I knew people usually married quickly, but I didn't realize quite how ingrained a custom it was." Hermione sighed, "I really should have gotten some books while we were there."

"I thought you had that one book on English soulbond customs?"

"It was more interested in ancient customs or those around 100 years ago. I didn't realize some were still around, though I suppose I should have. It's not like the British wizarding world likes change." Hermione sighed in defeat. That had been part of what the whole war had been about, really.

"Ok, so it's custom. That doesn't mean you have to do it."

Hermione sighed. "I want to be the English magical ambassador to Japan. It would let me stay here while helping England rebuild politically. But if I'm to do that, I can't be seen as rejecting my bond with a Japanese wizard."

"But you'll be living here! Surely they won't think you're rejecting him."

"There are still people that disagree with our values that have political power. They would do anything they could to annoy those of us that won the war. Including keeping me out of a political position."

She could feel Kei staring at her incredulously. "So you're going to let some people you don't even like force you to get married at eighteen."

"No." Hermione sighed. "I don't know." She paused, biting her lip for a second as she thought, "We have five months before anyone expects an announcement, so we'll have to come up with a plan by then."

"So you have until the end of February to figure something out." Akiteru looked between them, smiling nervously, "That's good, right?"

Hermione shrugged, "Sure? Madam Longbottom said they would expect the wedding date to be pretty quickly after that, since the only reason I would delay an announcement would be to put the events close together for secrecy's sake since I'm so high-profile in Britain."

"But that's still some time to work with." Akiteru was trying so hard to cheer them up.

Tetsurou's emotions, though, felt just as frustrated as her own. He groaned next to her, "Except I'm taking my master's exam over winter break, and she's taking five NEWT tests, and she'll be busy with the ambassador internship, and we'll have to start looking into colleges, and who knows how marriage might complicate that process, and I'll have to start preparing for college entrance exams." Tetsurou groaned. "Not to mention there's Volleyball and nationals. We won't settle for anything less, and I will do my part to make the battle at the Garbage Dump happen."

"Ambassador internship?" Kei frowned, latching onto the normal sounding position, "What will you need to do for that, Neesan?"

"Just a few meetings." Hermione frowned, "The hard part of preparing for the internship will be improving my Japanese."

"We can help with that." Akiteru grinned, "Maybe we should start talking to you in only Japanese."

Hermione's eyes widened, "Maybe not just yet. I don't think I'm anywhere near that level at the moment."

Kei snorted, "You definitely aren't." He paused, then turned to Tetsurou, "The last part is just you adding to your stress, though. You could leave the team in Spring and focus on exams and everything else."

"Not gonna happen. None of us are leaving and we're going to nationals."

"Tch. You're acting like my team's idiots, Kuroo-senpai."

"Aw, does that mean you secretly have a soft spot for them like you do for me?"

"I don't have a soft spot for any of you." Kei threw the volleyball at Tetsurou, aiming straight for his stomach, but Tetsurou knocked it out of the way.

"Oi! Careful, now. You hurt me, you hurt your cousin."

"Gomen neesan." Kei's eyes narrowed as he turned back to Tetsurou. "I'll just have to find a way around that."

Hermione sighed, her mind still focused on the idea of marriage. It's not like she didn't want to marry Tetsurou eventually, but this whole process just screamed 'too soon.' It was like accepting the bond all over again. She didn't want to have to rush every aspect of their relationship because of things outside their control.

And then there was the fact that so much had happened in England while she was away. Kingsley was beign overworked, Percy was now his assistant, there was a monument to the war, Neville and Luna realized they were soulmates, Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were all planning their weddings….

And no one had told her any of it.

Just because she was in a different country didn't mean she didn't care. That she didn't want to know what was going on.

The ambassador's position would at least make sure that she knew what was going on politically, but she wasn't going to let her friends keep her out of the loop like this.

She needed to call Harry on the mirror more often—they'd stopped just because she was always with Tetsurou, but-

"It will be alright, love." Hermione looked up to see that Tetsurou had finally sat up and was watching her; a few calming waves of emotion trickled down the bond. When had he figured out how to send emotions like that? She doubted he was feeling that calm. "After all, we're both brilliant." He smirked at her. "We'll figure something out."

His hand tentatively circled around hers, "And your friends didn't mean to leave you out."

Hermione frowned. She must have been projecting her thoughts into his mind on accident. Solidifying their bond and practicing with their abilities was yet another project to add to their list of things to accomplish.

"Right." Somehow she couldn't bring herself to be nearly as confident as he sounded.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

James Birdsong: Thank you! I hope you keep enjoying it :)

BrownEyesAngel: poor Hermione is indeed not happy


	7. The New Routine

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Weeks passed, school started again, the expected wedding invitations came, and Hermione and Tetsurou fell into a routine. Hermione would spend her days with Tetsurou in Tokyo, usually invisibly wandering around his school campus or studying in a quiet nook somewhere. After his classes and volleyball practice were over, the two would go to his house, eat dinner with either his parents or Kenma, and then apparate to Miyagi around 7 and spend the evening and night with the Tsukishimas.

It was a good schedule. It worked. They saw everyone in Japan that was important to them every day. More importantly, they stayed together and avoided upsetting their bond.

And she talked to Harry and Ron on the weekends, so she at least got _some_ updates from back home.

But Hermione was bored.

She needed the studying time, but after a week of focusing on nothing but her textbooks for nine hours straight, she was yearning for some variation in her schedule.

She'd gotten too used to Harry and Ron's constant interruptions.

Hermione sighed.

She'd decided to study potions today, but the textbook lay open in her lap, taunting her.

She shut it with a snap.

Maybe if she focused on learning about their bond, instead? They were still trying to test its limits… She closed her eyes, focusing on where she felt Tetsurou.

He was in the gym, running back and forth. He was also physically tired, but that was hardly surprising. He always was in the second half of practice. She felt annoyance. But at what? She tried to reach for his thoughts.

 _emBaka. Massugu, massugu! /em_

Well that wasn't helpful.

Hermione sighed again. She really needed to keep getting better at Japanese.

One more hour, then volleyball practice would be over. She supposed she might as well wander over to the gym and watch. No one could see her, and it's not like she could focus at the moment.

Hermione slipped her book into her bag and slowly began making her way across the Nekoma campus. Last week her study breaks had consisted of exploring the campus, so she now knew every nook and cranny.

Hermione turned to the right and took a shortcut between two buildings, pausing to make sure no one was in sight before she bought a drink from the vending machine.

She could hear the sound of sneakers squeaking on the gym floor as she approached, and Tetsurou's voice yelling at Lev. So that was who had annoyed him, not that the revelation was surprising. The gym door was thankfully open, letting her slip inside. The team seemed to be doing a practice match against each other.

Tetsurou's eyes flickered over to where she was standing, then quickly returned to watching the first years. em _Get bored, love? /em_

 _emUgh. Yes. I can only read potions textbooks for so many days and hours in a row, you know./em_

 _emSacrilege./em_ "Oi! Lev!" Tetsurou was waving his arm over his head, outstretched, yelling something about arms in Japanese.

Hermione smiled, making her way over to the edge of the gym where she sat down to watch the team.

She tried to pick apart what they yelled at each other. Yamamoto was hungry? And who knew what Yaku was saying to Lev, but Lev's response was something about it not being a big deal. Yaku definitely disagreed with that. Now Yamamoto was talking to Inuoka about a girl? Someone in his class?

While she focused on studying the language, time passed quickly and soon the coach was telling them to stop for the night.

Hermione sighed, pulling her textbook back out and beginning to read once more as all of the boys ran around cleaning the gym and rushing to get showers before the others.

She lost herself in the pages while reading about the various different properties of salamander blood and was startled when a figure leaned down and cleared his throat in front of her. She looked up and met amused hazel eyes.

"I thought potions was boring?"

Hermione looked around. Kenma was standing a few feet away, but it appeared everyone else had left for the day. She cancelled the disillusionment spell and put her book back in the bag. "Apparently all I needed today was a little break before I could focus again."

Tetsurou was watching her carefully. "You felt agitated all day. What's up?" The three of them made their way out of the gym and began to walk through the deserted campus. Kenma had pulled out his DS.

Hermione groaned, "I'm going insane. I've gotten so accustomed to studying with distractions all around me that now I can't study when it's quiet!" Hermione threw her hands up in frustration."I just get so restless."

"So…you're upset because no one's interrupting your study time?" Tetsurou was shaking his head, amused.

"Yes!" Hermione sighed, "No; I don't know. I know it makes no sense."

"I could always send distracting thoughts your way."

"I don't want to ruin your focus. You should be paying attention in classes. Your exams are coming up, after all."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't need to remind me. I'll ace them, well enough." He sent her a sly grin, "I'm smart enough to be able to afford being distracted by a pretty girl every now and then." Hermione blushed a little at the compliment as Tetsurou smirked at her.

"I won't be the reason for your grades dropping, Tetsurou."

"I'm telling you, they won't!" He shook his head emphatically, waving his arms, then added, "You have that ambassadors meeting next week, right? Maybe a break from the routine will help?"

Hermione sighed, "Maybe." First she had to get through the next four days.

"You could be a manager." Kenma didn't look up from his game. Hermione hadn't even realized he'd been listening.

Hermione and Tetsurou stared at Kenma. "A manager?"

"For the club. Like you were with Karasuno." Kenma's screen began to flash as a battle began.

"But I was at least attending classes at Karasuno… I'm not affiliated with Nekoma at all. And how would we explain my being in Tokyo when I live with the Tsukishimas in Miyagi?"

"You're commuting for your ambassador stuff."

Hermione blinked. "Every day?"

Kenma just shrugged. "Shinkansen. Or say you're staying with Tetsurou during the week."

"The Shinkansen doesn't even stop near Shiroishi. And I don't think people would approve of that, Kenma. We're still in high school." Hermione sighed.

Kenma shrugged, "It's not that different from what you do now."

Tetsurou groaned. "I mean, yeah, but no one knows about that."

"Since when do you care about what people think?" Kenma's eyes briefly looked up from his game. "You haven't done that since you started playing volleyball here."

"I don't, but…" Tetsurou glanced at Hermione, she could feel his wariness and unease, "People will start rumors."

"She'd be staying in your guest bedroom, though. And that's right next to your parents' room. It's not like you could do anything."

"Not everyone knows the layout of my house, Kenma-cat."

Kenma just shrugged. "You'll have to deal with rumors anyway when you get married."

"We're trying to figure out how NOT to get married right now, Kenma."

Another shrug.

Hermione sighed. Sure they might have to deal with rumors later, but hopefully not. And this seemed like an awful lot of hassle just to have a few hours during the day when she could be visible and have something else to do…but she also really did need to interact with more people to improve her Japanese…

"Even if we can come up with a good explanation for where I'm staying and all that, how could I be manager if I'm not taking classes at Nekoma?"

Tetsurou sighed. "Just wave around your ambassador internship and the school will be begging for you to come. It would be a prestige thing."

"A prestige thing."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Or at least that's how mom would spin it."

Now it was Hermione's turn to groan, "You want to get your mom involved in this?"

"It would get the job done with the lowest amount of hassle, so sure." He paused, turning to look at her, "That is, if you even want to be a manager." He shrugged, "I'm fine with you staying invisible. If you become manager I'll have to share your attention with the other guys."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's not like I can even talk with them at the moment."

"There is that. I'll just have to make sure that you never learn Japanese."

"That would hardly be a good solution to our problems, Tetsurou."

"You don't like having me around as your personal translator?" He turned to his friend, "Kenma, are you hearing this? My own girlfriend doesn't like having me around!"

Kenma ignored him, instead continuing his assault on a demon in his game.

"I like having you around and you know it, Tetsurou. Stop being melodramatic."

He grinned, "Confessions like that won't discourage me, love."

Confessions…? Hermione thought back a few seconds, then blushed. "That is hardly a confession! I've said as much before." She looked stiffly off to the side.

"Mmmhmm. Doesn't mean I don't like hearing it again, though." He reached down and threaded his fingers through hers. She looked up at him, but his eyes were on the road ahead of them.

They walked in silence as Hermione turned the idea over in her head. She gently squeezed his hand. "If we can make the logistics work, I'll be manager."

"Oya?" He turned to look at her.

"I like being visible. Actually being able to talk with you and hold your hand." Despite the occasional annoyed looks that such a minor public display of affection could cause.

Tetsurou's eyes widened. She could feel his happiness and arousal.

"Careful, Mio. A man can only handle so much appreciation at once."

She pulled herself up and kissed his cheek, laughing when he immediately froze. "Don't worry, Tetsu. You're cute when you're flustered."

She blushed at the scandalized looks a few passerbys gave them, but tried to ignore them.

"Oi!" Tetsurou shook his head, snapping out of his frozen bewilderment. "What have I said about calling me cute?"

"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you aren't cute." Hermione skipped ahead of them to the door. Tetsurou gave a put-upon sigh.

"You call me cute, then you go and do something like that." He waved a hand between them nonchalantly. "Skipping is about as cute as you can get, Mio." He smirked at her.

Hermione gamely pushed on, "And so is keeping apple pie in your fridge because you know it's your best friend's favorite." She turned to unlock Tetsurou's front door.

"Apple pie?" Kenma looked up, suddenly interested in their conversation, but then he sighed. "If you two are just going to flirt all evening, though, I'm taking it back to my house."

"Aw, Kenma-cat! We'll stop, don't go!" Tetsurou grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him toward the house. Kenma only weakly protested as he was thrust through the doorway.

Hermione smiled fondly at the two, then followed them inside. She missed her friends, but Luna was right. Making new friends was good, too.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

Emma3mikan, NYFanFic, and BrownEyesAngel: thank y'all for the reviews! I'm amused at the different reactions to the prospect of marriage, lol. But yeah, lots of stress atm.


	8. Kotodama No Machi

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

 _Wake up._

Hermione rolled over, barely noting the voice.

 _Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

She groaned and put a pillow over her head.

 _Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

The voice didn't stop.

 _Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

It was in her head.

 _Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

Tetsurou.

She rolled over with a groan, her pillow falling to the floor.

Half asleep, she tried to remember how to send a thought to him _. What?_

 _Yes! You're up! It worked!_

 _What do you want Tetsurou?_

 _We're going shopping!_

 _You woke me up at—_ Hermione glanced at the clock beside her bed— _Eight am to go shopping?_ That actually wasn't too early, but darn it, she'd been sleeping well, for once.

 _Yup! I need to get your birthday present! And I couldn't just leave! I didn't want to deal with the pain, or give you pain, so I had to wake you up, but Tsukki won't let me upstairs. He keeps saying it's not proper._

Hermione sighed. _While it's sweet that you're so eager to get me something, why do I need to be up at eight? Stores won't even be open yet._

 _But we need to meet Bokuto and Akaashi for breakfast!_

 _Why does this involve meeting Bokuto and Akaashi?_

 _Someone has to watch you and make sure you don't sneakily follow me and try to figure out your present._

Hermione closed her eyes in frustration. _So you're going shopping. And I'm coming with you because we have to be near each other. But we won't actually be together because you're still insisting that you want to surprise me on my birthday?_

 _Yes!_

 _Tetsurou, I can literally look into your mind at any time to figure out what you got me. Or what your plans are._

 _But you promised not to!_

 _We still occasionally project thoughts to each other without meaning to._

 _It's motivating me to practice at stopping that!_

Hermione sighed. _This is ridiculous. I'm going back to bed._

 _But we have to meet them at 8:30!_

She grabbed her pillow from the floor and ignored him.

 _Mio._

 _Mio dearest._

 _Mio my love._

 _My one and only._

 _Conqueress of my soul._

Hermione felt like her face was on fire.

 _Inspiration of my being._

 _Treasure of my heart._

 _Beauty whose fierceness is undeniable._

She groaned and rolled over again. _Tetsurou!_

 _Will you come downstairs?_

Hermione closed her eyes in frustration. _You're not going to let me go back to sleep, are you?_

 _Nope._

Ugh. _Fine. You better get me an amazing present._

 _I will!_

She sat up with a sigh. _Just give me a few minutes to get dressed._

 _Of course! Don't mind me, I'll just be downstairs tormenting Tsukki._

Hermione rolled her eyes. She had a feeling Kei-kun was already incredibly annoyed. He hated mornings.

She quickly went through her morning routine and got dressed, pausing a moment to fret over whether the outfit—blue jeans and her old jean jacket thrown over a grey tanktop—was good enough for her to see Tetsurou, but she quickly decided she was being ridiculous and grabbed her purse to leave.

A day shopping with Bokuto and Akaashi. This would be…interesting.

"—you shut up, Kuroo-senpai."

And Kei was already ticked off. Hermione quickly darted down the stairs.

"Tetsurou! Stop bothering Kei-kun!" She turned the corner to enter the kitchen. Tetsurou was sitting on the kitchen counter, wearing his dragon hoodie and jeans, the dragon tooth necklace hanging loose around his neck. He grinned at her.

"Well now that you're here, beautiful, I suppose I won't have to resort to such lowly entertainment."

Kei glared at him over his coffee. "Please leave already."

"Tsukki! How could you suggest that we leave before this fair maiden has had caffeine! She's British. It's a heinous crime for her to start the day without tea."

Hermione softly laughed while her cousin stared incredulously at her soulmate.

"Coffee will do fine, actually." She poured herself some of the coffee left over from the pot. It was still warm, so Kuroo hadn't been inside for too long. "Where are we going today?"

"Kotodama no Machi."

Hermione looked up sharply, "Really?!"

Tetsurou rested his chin on the palm of his hand, smirking at her. "Really."

"Brilliant."

"What's Kotodama no Machi?" Kei looked between them with a frown.

"Wizarding shopping district." Tetsurou was still smirking, but this time at her cousin.

"That exists?" Kei blinked in surprise. "I mean, I know it does in England, but you had made it sound like there weren't many of you in Japan."

Tetsurou shrugged, "There aren't, but there's still a couple hundred of us; Akaashi's family alone has about thirty witches and wizards. And when you can all apparate there instantly from anywhere in the country, it doesn't take too many people to maintain a busy shopping center. And then there's all of the magical beings that use Kotodama…" he shrugged, "it gets plenty of business."

"Thirty?" Hermione almost choked on her toast. "Wizarding families in Britain are quite small. How many families do you have that are that large?"

"Eh?" Tetsurou frowned, "There are five of them. They're all kinda pompous. They stay big, though, because their soulmates are usually what your country calls muggleborns, like with Bokuto and Akaashi."

Kei spat out his coffee. "Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san are soulmates?"

Tetsurou started laughing maniacally. "Hell yeah they are. It's great, right? All prim and proper Akaashi stuck with crazy as hell Bokuto for the rest of his life."

"Poor Akaashi-san."

Hermione sighed, "He does seem able to handle Bokuto's moods well, though."

"Tch." Both Kei and Tetsurou looked annoyed. "Yeah. It makes matches with them incredibly difficult."

Tetsurou ran a hand through his hair, then changed the topic slightly, "You'll probably meet at least one of Akaashi's relatives and people from the other families at the ambassador's meeting, Hermione. They like to meddle in everything." He sighed, "Everyone says magic pairs them with first-generation magic users because magic knows they need to be kept humble. There's also the fact, though, that most of them are all so self-centered there's no way two people from the five families would ever work out." He shrugged, "Akaashi's one of the exceptions, of course, but even he can give off this I'm-better-than-you vibe sometimes."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I doubt Akaashi would appreciate you describing him that way."

"Eh. He knows I think his aloofness can come across as being stuck up. He's still better than most of his family, though." Tetsurou smirked, "Of course, I think that's all Bokuto's doing."

Hermione frowned, lost in thought as she thought about everything Tetsurou had just said. "If everyone in the five families marries outside of their family, though, does that make smaller families like yours rare?"

Tetsurou shrugged, "Kinda? I mean, 3-4 isn't exactly a common size, and there are some families with around 10 people, too, but I think there are others our size…it's hard to tell when my family doesn't exactly stay in magical social circles."

"Ano…" the two of them turned to look at Kei, who was fidgeting and playing with the rim of his cup. "I'd like to know more about Japan's magical society. May I come with you today?"

Tetsurou grinned, "Of course!" He jumped off of the counter. "Man, exposing Tsukki to Japan's magical world. Today is going to be all kinds of fun."

Hermione shook her head, "You forget, you're going to be off on your own looking for my present, so you won't be with Kei-kun very long."

Tetsurou groaned, but perked up quickly, "I'll just have to find something awesome quickly, then." He grinned at her. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, casting a quick lavare on her cup and Kei's, then drying them off before putting them back in the cabinet. "Where are we meeting Bokuto and Akaashi?"

"At a café in Kotodama. I figured as little apparating as possible would be best." He grinned at her, and she sighed at the wariness she could feel over the bond.

"One day I'll get over this nausea, I promise."

"I'm sure."

She glared at him, but he just shrugged unrepentantly. "I'm sure it will happen one day, Mio, but I'm not going to keep my hopes up that it's going to be soon at this rate. We just feed off of each other too much."

Kei shifted nervously. "Apparition feels similar to portkeying, right? I only did it that once, but…"

Hermione frowned, concerned. "You sure you want to come with us, Kei-kun? I know your last experience with magical travel was far from ideal. I understand if you don't want to dredge up those memories."

He shook his head firmly. "I want to work past that."

"If you're sure…"

"Yes." His eyes were steady and firm.

Hermione sighed. "Alright." She reached out and took his hand, then turned to Tetsurou. "Count of three and I'll meet you in the alley where we arrived last time?"

Tetsurou nodded. "3"

"2." Hermione focused on the image of the alleyway in her head.

"1." They both apparated simultaneously. The tug was magnified since she was taking Kei with her through side-along, so the second they landed she bent over, clutching her stomach. She managed to control the nausea, though, and slowly stood up.

Tetsurou's mouth was in a thin line, no doubt from the nausea he could feel from her, but his eyes were fixed on Kei. Her cousin's hand clutched her arm tightly and his eyes were screwed shut as he took quick, shallow breaths.

Without thinking, Hermione wrapped her arms around him. At first he tensed up and froze, not even breathing, but he slowly loosened up, eventually settling his own arms around her. "Arigatou, nee-san. I'm fine now, though."

She gave him a brief squeeze of reassurance, then stepped back. His eyes still looked a bit haunted, but he was at least trying to smile and reassure her. Moving on with the day and providing him with a distraction would probably be best, anyway.

"Alright." She turned to Tetsurou, "Where to?"

"Just around the corner." He smirked at her cousin, "Try not to get distracted and fall behind, Tsukki. Wouldn't want you to get lost."

Kei just rolled his eyes. "It's not like I could lose track of your hair anywhere, Kuroo-senpai."

"My hair is hardly the most outrageous thing on the streets in the wizarding world."

Kei opened his mouth—no doubt to make a snarky reply—but his eyes widened and he froze as they exited the alley.

"It's rude to stare, Tsukki." Tetsurou was smirking at him, and Hermione giggled behind her hand.

Centaurs were normal to her now, though she was curious about seeing one away from his herd and in the middle of the city.

Tetsurou groaned, his emotions shifting to annoyance at her thoughts. "Europe is so weird. The centaurs come and shop just like everyone else, they just use registered portkeys to get here." He shook his head, "Confining them to forests. What the heck."

Hermione grinned at her soulmate, "I completely agree." Yet another quality that made her love Japan.

Kei blinked, tearing his eyes from the centaur, and began to look around and everything else. "What is—"

"Questions later. We're late." Tetsurou stuck his hands in his pockets and began to stroll down the street. "Keep up, you weirdos."

"Tch." Kei glared at his back. "Like you've ever cared about being late."

 _"_ _I_ care." Hermione grabbed her cousin's arm, pulling him after them. "And Bokuto may not mind, but Akaashi probably will."

Kei sighed, yanking his arm out of her grasp and trudging along unwillingly. He tried not to look too enamored with his surroundings, but his eyes still widened occasionally or froze when he noticed other magical oddities.

The best reaction, though, was when they reached the café.

Beautiful women with fox tails walked around everywhere, carrying trays, taking orders, accepting money at the cashier.

Kitsune.

A café run by kitsune.

Hermione's eyebrow twitched.

Kuroo held his hands up in defense, "Don't look at me! Bokuto picked the place."

"Kuroo!" One of the women came up to him, draping herself across his shoulders. She chattered at him in Japanese, something about being gone a long time. Hermione's eyebrow twitched again. Tetsurou had been a regular here?

"Ah…." Tetsurou looked between Hermione and the new girl uncertainly, quickly pushing her arm off. "Well, I'm kinda taken now, Hiromi-san."

"Kinda?" Hermione scowled at him.

"-San?" The girl, Hiromi, was frowning. She reached out to him, but Tetsurou frantically took a step back. "Don't be like that, Kuroo…" And the kitsune knew English. Of course. Why not.

Kuroo quickly stepped next to Hermione. "Hiromi-san, I found my soulmate. This is Granger Hermione."

The Kitsune froze, a curious expression taking the place of her previously dejected one. "Oh?" She looked between the two of them, "She's quite the catch, Kuroo." Her eyes darted over to Kei mischievously, "Though I like this other one you brought more."

Kei's eyes widened as the Kitsune was suddenly next to him. She reached up and plucked his glasses off, looking up at his eyes. "Such pretty eyes…you're single, right, handsome?"

Kei furiously grabbed his glasses and put them back in place, glaring at the woman. "Please keep your hands to yourself in the future."

The kitsune grinned. "Feisty. I like that in a man." She reached up to touch his cheek, but Kei swatted her hand away.

"I'm not interested." His voice was flat and annoyed, but there was a slight blush dusting his cheeks. If Hermione wasn't so annoyed with the woman herself, she would have found it amusing.

"That's what they all say, golden-eyes." She grinned at him, then turned to Kuroo, still smiling. "The ones who act hard to get are always the best. Thanks for the replacement toy, Kuroo."

He smirked, "It's the least I could do since I'm no longer available for you to tease."

Hiromi laughed at Hermione's annoyed expression, "Don't worry, love. We only flirt with the unbonded ones. Too much hassle, otherwise."

Hermione glared at her, "Then why did you flirt with Tetsurou when we came in?" They were magical creatures. They should be able to sense the bond between Hermione and Tetsurou, especially given how powerful their bond was.

"Because jealousy is always fun to provoke." The girl had the gall to wink at her, "Can't help ourselves sometimes, you know?" She flounced down the aisle, three tails waving behind her.

Tetsurou sighed. "Gomen. Should I have warned you?"

"That you were about to be pounced on by a bloody kitsune?" Hermione glared at him. "YES." She followed the waitress, ignoring both the amusement and contriteness that flowed across the bond.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto was standing next to a table, waving at them. "Look who finally decided to show up. And you brought Tsukki!"

The waitress' ears perked up at the name. She turned toward Kei as the three of them took their seats. Hermione had forced Tetsurou to be next to the wall, away from the waitresses, but that meant Kei had the aisle. He did not look pleased with the arrangement.

"Tsukki?" The waitress was now running her hand over his shoulder, "Like the moon? We were meant to be, golden-eyes."

Kei pushed her hand off, but then turned bright red when it was replaced by a tail curling around his waist. The waitress leaned down, placing a menu in front of him. "Call me when you have your order, alright? You're more fun than those boring bonded losers." The kitsune flounced off, leaving Kei sitting there in shock.

Tetsurou and Bokuto were laughing their heads off. Akaashi sighed. "Gomen, Tsukishima-san. I would have insisted on elsewhere if I'd known you would be coming." He shrugged, "They really do leave you alone if you are bonded."

"So you three come here a lot?" Hermione glared at Tetsurou, still annoyed.

"Aw, don't be like that, Mio." Tetsurou ran a hand through his hair. "It was just flirting for fun." He grinned, "And for practice. I couldn't flirt with any of the girls at school because they might expect it to go somewhere, but the kitsune know about soulmates. They just want to tease and flirt with people."

Hermione sighed. Tetsurou was really good at flirting. She couldn't deny that. But it made her so…angry that he'd flirted with these women. Even if he'd expected nothing to come of it. That…Hiromi… had been allowed to fling herself at him.

She sniffed in disdain.

Bokuto laughed as Tetsurou groaned. "Why'd you make us meet here, Bokuto?"

"Eh?" Bokuto looked at his friend, appalled. "Because the food's good! And we always meet here!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Always?" Tetsurou groaned again.

"You were going to have to fess up to being a regular here eventually Kuroo." Akaashi smiled calmly, "It might as well be on the day that you've purposefully arranged so that you can get your soulmate a wonderful present."

Hermione frowned at Akaashi. He was trying to sweet talk her and calm her down for his friend. She turned away from the wizards to face Kei, who still looked like he was trying to digest what had just happened.

"Do you want to leave, Kei-kun?"

He sighed and slowly shook his head. "No…it's annoying, but…" he looked off to the side, refusing to make eye contact with her, "kinda nice?" Hermione's eyebrow twitched and he quickly added, "And I want to know more about your world. I really do."

Hermione rolled her eyes, ignoring Bokuto's cackles about a 'nice save.' "That's fine, then." She looked down at the menu, trying to ignore the fact that Tetsurou's arm was wrapping around her shoulder. It felt so warm and comforting. Like it belonged there. She swallowed. No. She was annoyed with him.

Tetsurou sighed next to her, then plucked the menu from her hands. "You're going to get the fruit platter, right? Something healthy."

She glared at him. So what if he'd noticed her tastes.

"Mio, love, please don't be annoyed. I promise it meant nothing."

The waitress returned, this time draping one of her tails across Kei's lap. "Well Golden-eyes, what'll it be for you?"

He ignored her question and tried to remove the tail, but each time he did another tail would take its place. The kitsune grinned at him, but let him keep trying while she took the rest of their orders. Finally Kei gave up with a 'tch' of frustration.

He looked up, eyes widening when he realized her face was inches from his own. "S-strawberry scones."

The kitsune grinned. "Coming right up!" Her tail caressed his cheek as she stood up and skipped away.

Kei groaned.

Hermione sighed in frustration.

"Mio, can you try to relax? It's in their nature to flirt, and here they've found a way to do so without causing too much mischief. If people don't like it they _can_ leave. And they really don't flirt with bonded customers. I mean, come on, Hiromi-san's ignoring me now!"

Tetsurou was worried now, she could feel it over the bond. Any amusement he'd had at the beginning was completely gone. Hermione bit her lip. She was annoyed, but he was right that it was just their nature, and that they were ignoring him now. She sighed. "Fine. But don't ever come here without me."

He pulled her tightly to his side and happiness filled the bond. "Of course!" He grinned at her, "The food here really is great. They have their own gardens and pick everything fresh."

When the food arrived (amidst more flirting with her increasingly red cousin) Hermione did have to admit that it was good. And the strawberries were some of the best that she'd tasted in a long time. Not that she'd ever admit as much to Tetsurou.

His grin and the satisfaction she felt from the bond, though, let her know that he knew she was at least enjoying the food.

Sometimes the bond could be very annoying.

Hiromi came back to the table a ridiculous number of times to check on them. Well, to check on Kei. She doubted that the strawberry scones plate usually came with nine of them. When Kei had called her on that, though, she had just winked and said that nine was a lucky number for kitsune.

Regardless of how good the food was, Hermione was very happy when they left.

Tetsurou quickly excused himself, then weaved through the crowds, leaving to go find a present.

Which left them with Bokuto and Akaashi. Hermione frowned slightly. Why did Akaashi already look apologetic?

"Let's go to the Kuyori Castle!"

"Kuyori Castle?" Kei was eyeing the two wizards warily. Akaashi appeared resigned., which Hermione was beginning to suspect was never a good sign.

"A bunch of ghosts and magical beings live in Kuyori and make a living providing tests of courage to anyone that enters."

Hermione blinked. That was…different. It did sound somewhat amusing, though. She shrugged, "Sure."

Kei stared at her in betrayal, "You want to do this?"

"It sounds kinda fun." He continued to stare. "I was in Gryffindor, you know. The house of the brave? This sort of thing is somewhat nostalgic."

Kei groaned.

"I'm doomed."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: all of those questions will be answered in later chapters, promise ;) but in short, the Japanese gov't is much smaller than British one, and there are fake records in the nonmagical world. You'll get the details in a bit.


	9. Kuyori Castle

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

"Maybe we should wait? Won't Kuroo-senpai be mad if we do something like this without him?" Kei was looking at the building before him with trepidation.

It was at least ten stories tall, though the top disappeared in a fog that circled around the castle, so it was impossible to tell exactly how tall it was. The walls were all blood red, with black sloping overhangs marking each floor. Two red oni the size of Grawp stood outside the doors, eyeing them with amusement.

"Brought someone without magic for us to scare, huh? Those are always the best."

Kei blanched at the ogre's words, though he sniffed with faked disdain.

Bokuto was laughing and clapping Kei on the shoulder. "Nah, Kuroo hates this place. We're good."

"He hates it?" Hermione looked between Akaashi and Bokuto in confusion. "Why?"

Bokuto grinned, "He's a big scaredy cat. Jumps and screams at everything."

"You are hardly one to talk, Bokuto." Akaashi rolled his eyes.

"I'm brave! They just startle me sometimes, that's all." He paused and puffed out his chest. "But they won't this time!"

This earned him a sigh from Akaashi. "Of course, Bokuto."

Curious, Hermione reached across her bond with Tetsurou. _I hear that you scream a lot when you visit Kuyori Castle?_

 _What the heck? They're taking you there? Why?! And those are slanderous lies._

Hermione giggled. _Bokuto seems quite convinced it's the truth. And Akaashi hasn't contradicted him._

 _Lies, I'm telling you._

 _Do you want us to wait for you then?_

 _No! No, that's fine. Have fun. That place isn't really my idea of a good time._

 _But not because it's scary._

 _Nope. Not at all. Glad we're on the same page._

The ogres were glaring at them, now. "Are you coming in or not?"

"We are." Hermione grabbed Kei's hand, pulling him forward and toward the ogre guards.

Akaashi sighed. "We'll pay for everyone." He passed some yen over to the ogre, who took it with a nod.

"Enjoy." One of the ogres stepped aside to let them pass through the doorway. "You have an hour. After that, the next door you open will lead you outside."

Inside there was a thick mist that rolled around the room, obscuring everything below their waists completely. Several doorways lined the walls. Hermione held on to Kei's hand tightly. The last thing they needed was for him to be separated.

Ghosts drifted into the room. All of them appeared to have died gruesome deaths—limbs were missing and lesions were still visible on some of their ghostly flesh. After the Bloody Baron, though, and seeing wounds like these in real life… She shook her head. Best not to focus on those. She smiled at the ghosts.

"Good morning. How are you all today?"

Bokuto and Akaashi looked at her like she was insane.

Kei stared at her in confusion. "Who are you talking too?"

Of course. Muggles can't see ghosts. Hermione sighed. At least it would be harder for them to scare him this way. "We have some visitors. Ghosts."

The ghosts drifted through the pillars around the room, slowly circling around them. One came closer, stopping in front of her. He was missing several teeth and his arm was dangling loosely from his shoulder. One leg appeared to have been snapped in two and the other was completely missing.

"I'm Hermione Granger. What's your name?"

"We do not give our names to guests."

Hermione frowned. "Well that's hardly polite."

Bokuto made a strangled noise.

The ghost leered at her, his face inches from her own. "We don't care about politeness, lass." Hermione arched an eyebrow. Proximity was supposed to scare her somehow? It's not like a ghost could actually do anything to her. Honestly, Moaning Myrtle's creepy leers were far more unnerving than this ghost.

"Which room do you suggest we go in, then?"

"You cannot leave."

"What are you going to do to stop us? You're a ghost." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kei." She tried to walk around the ghost—it was rude to just walk through them, after all—but when it moved to intercept her she just sighed and walked through him anyway.

Kei let out a disgruntled gasp as she pulled him through the ghost, "What was that?"

"The ghost. Sorry, I pulled you through him because he was being annoying."

"What the hell?" Kei looked behind him, startled. "I just walked through a ghost?"

"Yes. And you're going to do it again."

Hermione pulled him through another ghost, this time to reach one of the doors. Surely there were other, more interesting things in this castle.

Kei shuddered as he passed through the ghost, clenching her hand tightly. "Thanks for the warning, I guess."

Hermione stopped in front of a door, turning back to look at Bokuto and Akaashi, who were still standing by the entrance. Akaashi appeared more amused than anything else, though Hermione was slightly worried that Bokuto's jaw might have come unhinged. "Are you two coming?"

"Hai!" Bokuto jumped in place, then grabbed Akaashi's hand and bounded across the room, skirting around the ghosts warily. "You're awesome, Granger!"

"You look like an idiot, dodging around who knows what." Kei smirked at his two seniors.

"Whatever Tsukki. Just because you can't see them doesn't give you the right to mock me. If you could see them you'd be way more creeped out right now!" Bokuto was waving his arms erratically, not paying attention, and yelped when one hand went through a ghost's head. "That feels so creepy! I don't know how you do it, Granger."

"Easily." Hermione shook her head at his antics, then opened the door in front of her. Thousands of eyes suddenly peered at them.

Hermione blinked. "Well. That's creepy, at least."

She shut the door.

Bokuto burst out laughing. "Man, Tsukki, you're face!"

Hermione looked behind her to see Kei staring at the door in disgust. "Those things are actually real?"

Akaashi nodded. "Most mythical creatures are, Tsukishima."

"That's…" Kei paused, his mouth twisting into a grimace. "That's kind of disturbing, actually."

"Only kind of?" Bokuto laughed, "Man, I flipped out when I first saw one. Kept insisting to my mom there was a demon and she thought I was just being a kid and making stuff up." He threw his head back and laughed, "It was great when Akaashi's found us and explained everything."

"Akaashi's family told you about magic?" Hermione looked at him for confirmation and he nodded.

"My uncle is on the emperor's cabinet as a magical advisor. He appoints people to introduce children with non-magical parents into our world. More often than not, he appoints my own family members."

Akaashi was looking off to the side, not making eye contact. Hermione blinked. She was beginning to understand what Tetsurou meant when he'd said that she would likely run into some of Akaashi's family at the ambassador's meeting.

"If your family is that powerful, why are you at a school like Fukurodani?"

"Oi! Fukurodani is an awesome school!" Bokuto glared at Kei.

Akaashi placed a calming hand on Bokuto's shoulder. "Our influence is purely magical. It would draw unwanted attention if I were to attend an academy more elite than a private school like Fukurodani." He turned away from them, reaching for another doorknob. "We came here to have fun, not to discuss politics."

He opened the door.

The others peered around him. So far, the room appeared innocent enough.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, then walked through the doorway, pulling Kei behind her.

She could hear the sound of scratching on the walls, like fingernails clawing at the surface, but she couldn't see anything.

The door shut with a bang behind Bokuto and Akaashi, then suddenly the floor fell out from beneath them. All four of them let out startled yells that, not too much later, became grunts of pain as they landed in a pile of bones.

Bones that were rattling.

The bones shifted slowly, drawing together until they formed a giant skeleton about the size of a Hungarian Horntail that loomed over them, cackling.

Hermione would freely admit that the sight was intimidating. She flicked her wand into her hand.

Bokuto was cowering behind Akaashi, but the two of them broke apart as the skeleton's hand came down on top of them, narrowly missing the two.

Kei swallowed hard behind her. "I thought this was just supposed to scare us?"

"It is, but minor injuries are known to happen!"

Hermione's eyes widened. Minor injuries could be a lot of things for a wizard. She grabbed Kei's hand, apparating them to the far side of the room.

Kei groaned, clutching his stomach and closing his eyes tightly. Hermione's own stomach rolled in protest.

 _Why did you just apparate?_

 _Not now Tetsurou. There's a giant skeleton._ Hermione forcibly blocked their communication, focusing on her cousin.

"Gomen, Kei-kun. I just didn't want you near that."

He grimaced but nodded. "I'll take the lesser of two evils, thanks."

At that moment, Bokuto let out a screech as the hand caught him, lifting him into the air and waving him around.

"Akaaaaaaaaaashiiiiiiiiiiii!" Bokuto screeched, "I don't wanna die!"

Hermione groaned, then pointed her wand at the giant arm. "Arresto momentum!" The giant froze. "Bombarda!" The arm shattered, bones flying everywhere, and the hand holding Bokuto fell to the floor. He let out a startled yelp.

"Thanks, Granger, but a bit gentler next time?"

"You are hardly in a position to make requests." Akaashi sighed, prying the boney fingers off of his soulmate. The two quickly darted to the side as the bones began to rattle once more.

"Shall we go into another room?" Hermione gestured to a nearby door. All of these doors were beginning to bring back memories of the Philosopher's Stone and the Department of Mysteries.

Bokuto nodded frantically, bounding toward it and away from the skeleton. He darted through the doorway, not even looking, and they all heard a frantic scream before the door banged shut behind him. Akaashi quickly went over to open it again, but all that appeared was a long hallway. No Bokuto. Akaashi sighed.

"Idiot. He knows this place likes to separate groups." He looked back at the two of them, "Well, let's go find him."

Kei looked at the door warily. "Is that even possible in here?"

"If we go through this door, maybe." Akaashi shrugged, "If not, we'll see him in about forty minutes or so when our time ends."

"Right." Kei still didn't move. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward the door. The three of them were careful to pass through the doorway together, and nothing happened.

Akaashi frowned and pulled the door shut behind them. Still nothing.

The long, silent hallway stretched before them.

They began to walk forward quietly, jumping when a scream pierced the air. Bokuto's scream.

Hermione sighed. Why did the person who got separated have to be the one who was the easiest to get to scream? She couldn't even tell where the sound was coming from.

Silence again.

Every now and then a door would appear on the side of the hallway. Akaashi tried them all, but each was shut tight. Alohomora did nothing, so they weren't locked, or at least they weren't locked by conventional means.

The lights began to flicker, and a figure emerged from ahead of them. A quick glance behind her showed another figure approaching behind them. Balls of eerie blue light flickered around each figure.

They were women wearing all white kimonos, floating in the air with hands hanging limp from outstretched arms, and hair covering their faces.

Yurei.

Ghosts.

Hermione glanced at Kei. Sure enough, he was looking around himself uneasily, aware of the flickering lights but not focusing on the women themselves, whereas Akaashi's gaze was steadily on the woman in front of them.

What did they want? Yurei were tied to locations or people so they could finish tasks…what were they doing in a haunted castle?

"Shi…ne…" The voice was light and raspy, grating the air. "Shi…ne…." Die? Well that was hardly a pleasant hello.

Kei screamed.

Startled, Hermione turned to him. He was frantically tugging at his leg, and there was a hand reaching up out of the floor and grabbing his left pant leg.

"Diffindo." The fabric tore free and Kei took a few unsteady steps back.

"Arigatou."

The women were closer, and the light flickered faster, making Kei look around uneasily.

Akaashi had his wand out and was muttering what sounded like a ward incantation. Suddenly walls of blue light surrounded the four of them, then slowly began to push outwards. When they reached the women, they hissed and began to back away.

Soon the hallway was empty once more, and the lights back to normal.

"You'll have to teach me that spell, Akaashi."

He shrugged. "Sure? It was just a combination of protego with a basic ward, though. Fairly weak and it wouldn't withstand an attack very well. It's strong enough to annoy ghosts, though."

Kei sighed, "So it was some ghosts again? I didn't want to ask and distract you, but it's really unnerving to know that there's something scary nearby, but have no clue what it is."

"Is that why you screamed?" Hermione smirked at him, amused.

Red dusted his cheeks. "Shut up. I was startled, that's all."

"Right." Akaashi snickered.

Another scream. Bokuto's again, this time. It sounded closer, though? Maybe?

Akaashi sighed. "And he said he was going to do better this time."

They began to walk forward again but didn't make it far before Hermione and Akaashi froze. They had just passed through a ward.

Kei took a few steps further, then looked back at them in confusion.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Down!"

The three of them immediately hit the floor as an assortment of knives and swords came flying at them, but harmlessly passed overhead.

The weapons went a few feet further, then dissipated when they hit the ward line.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "An illusion."

Kei's breath was shallow, and his limbs shaking as he stood back up and leaned against the wall. Hermione looked at him with concern, about to ask him if he was ok, but he spoke up first.

"I hate knives."

Of course. Bellatrix. She nodded in understanding. "They aren't likely to go for the same trick twice."

"Right." He eased himself off the wall, and the three of the slowly began to walk forward once more.

There was a corner ahead. Hermione gaped when they rounded it.

A huge chasm stretched out in front of them. Bokuto was tied and bound to a stake, whimpering, in the middle.

"Minna!" The spiker burst into tears. "Get me off this thing!"

He let out another scream as the long pole began to move, swaying unsteadily.

The bottom of the chasm was lined with spikes, but after the knives, Hermione would bet anything the spikes were just illusions.

Kei snickered, "How did you end up here, Bokuto-san?"

"I've been here ever since I went through that—" he screamed again, this time as three small black weasels with long blades as claws began to climb the pole. "Get them off! Get them off, get them off, get them off! Akaashi they're going to cut me apart and eat my innards! I don't want them to eat my innards!"

Hermione sighed. "Wingardium Leviosa." The three weasels rose into the air, hissing and trying to grab the pole with their tiny fingers. With a wave of her wand, Hermione sent them far down the opposite side of the hallway, then erected a barrier to keep them from returning.

Bokuto was now crying again. Hermione assumed from relief. She rolled her eyes. Time for some quick wand work. "Diffindo!" she cut the ropes, then followed up with a silent wingardium, eliminating the need for the long incantation. Bokuto barely had time to scream before he was frozen in midair, then floating towards them.

The second his feet hit the ground he scrambled towards them, collapsing and hugging Hermione's legs as he sobbed out his thanks.

Hermione sighed and looked at Akaashi in confusion, "Why does he like this place so much if he gets so scared?"

Akaashi sighed, smiling fondly at his soulmate. "He likes to think that he's brave and will overcome it one day."

"Akaashi!" Bokuto switched positions, now hanging off of the other boy's shoulders. "I'm hopeless. I'm not brave. The Kama Itachi almost killed me!"

"There, there, Bokuto." Akaashi patted his shoulder. "You were suspended above a pit of spikes while attached to a wobbling pole. I'm sure anyone would have screamed in that situation."

"Really?" Bokuto sniffed.

Kei scoffed. "No."

Akaashi glared at him when Bokuto started crying again. "You're one to talk. You screamed when a hand grabbed your pantleg."

"Eh?!" Bokuto looked between the two of them, suddenly excited at the prospect of teasing the younger volleyball player. "Is that true Tsukki?"

Kei glared at the ground, refusing to answer. Bokuto laughed, "Awesome! I'm not the only one who screamed." He grinned at the group, "Let's keep going!"

Before he could run over to the nearby door, Akaashi grabbed him. "How about we go together, this time?"

"Oh. Right." Bokuto nodded. "Good idea."

Hermione shook her head. This whole situation was ridiculous. She walked over to the door, opening it slowly, only to blink rapidly at the bright daylight.

"Eh?!" Bokuto stood gaping at the courtyard that led out to Kotodama no Machi. Tetsurou stood there, smirking at them.

"Time's up, losers. Who screamed?"

"Aw, no fun, bro." Bokuto skipped out into the sunlight. "Tsukki did! I wasn't there, but Akaashi said he did, so it must be true."

"Oya?" Testsurou turned to his kouhai. "You screamed, Tsukki? What from?"

"A hand came up from the floor and grabbed his left pant leg." Hermione walked over to Tetsurou and gave him a quick side hug. "You done with shopping?"

He grinned at her. "Yup. I have your present and it is successfully hidden, as well." He smirked at her, "So no peeking."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't."

"Riiiight…" He grinned at her scoff, then turned back to her cousin. "A hand grabbing your leg, really? That's all it took?"

"I was startled, alright? And Bokuto screamed at least ten times."

Tetsurou snorted, doubled over laughing. "What the heck, bro?"

"I was dangling over a pit of spikes tied to a wobbling pole! Akaashi said it was normal to scream! And then there was the skeleton and the Kama Itachi! I can only take so much, bro!"

"It's alright, I get you, bro."

"Bro!" Bokuto flung himself at Tetsurou, sending them both sprawling into the ground as he hugged him. "I knew you'd understand, bro."

"Of course, bro."

Kei groaned. "Can you please stop this bro fest?"

Tetsurou smirked, "Oya? Does that annoy you, Tsukki?"

"Just shut up." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before playing with the cord that rested at the base of his neck. "Can we go home already?"

Tetsurou frowned. "But I haven't gotten to shop with you yet."

Hermione shook her head, "Maybe another day, Tetsu. I think we're exhausted from the castle."

Tetsurou looked between them with a frown, but then understanding flooded his eyes when he saw how Kei was fiddling with the cord of his necklace, looking away from the group. "Yeah, alright. That ok with you, Bokuto, Akaashi?"

"Of course." Akaashi nodded, ignoring his soul mate's whines. "We will see you at another time."

"Yeah, I'll call tonight. I wanted to go over some things with you."

Akaashi nodded, then he and Bokuto disaparated.

"Things?" Hermione looked at Tetsurou curiously.

"Nope. You promised not to pry." Tetsurou stuck his tongue out at her.

"So birthday things."

He smirked, "Maybe."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Can we go home? You two can flirt there just as easily there."

"Well maybe not just as easily… your parents are there, after all."

Kei glared at him.

"Yeah, fine, whatever." He sighed and turned to Hermione. "Count of three?"

She nodded and grabbed Kei's hand, preparing herself to take someone side-along.

"3."

"2."

"I really hate your method of transportation."

"1."

The familiar tug took over, as well as the familiar sensation of nausea. She collapsed in the Tsukishima's backyard, Tetsurou next to her.

Kei looked down at them with a sigh. "I'll be inside whenever you two feel like moving again."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

Emma3mikan & NYFanFic: I'm glad y'all enjoyed the Kuroo/Hermione cuteness!

BrownEyesAngel: Thankfully for Hermione's sake, boggarts are British, and therefore not at the castle :) so some flashback problems, but she's had a little bit more time to work with her PTSD than say, Tsukki. 3 him.  
As for the kitsune thing, we know Hermione gets jealous from the Lavender episode, but she has grown up and is able to get past it. And she thought there was no one, so she was kinda blind-sided with it. Kuroo understands why, he's just a teenager and wasn't thinking things through in the past, but wants her to be happy now.


	10. Sibling Bonding

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione swirled the tea around her cup, sitting alone on the Tsukishima's kitchen counter. She could feel Tetsurou tossing and turning outside in the tent, trying to get back to sleep. She closed their mental link, hoping it would help him some what. Neither one of them had been getting good sleep since the torture.

She sighed. 4 a.m. Three more hours before the house started to stir. She took a small sip of the tea.

The castle had been fun, but being back in a fight-or-flight scenario had definitely brought up some unpleasant memories.

There was the scuff of a foot against the wooden floor around the corner, and Hermione's wand was immediately out, pointing at the figure that entered the kitchen.

The figure that immediately froze, eyes wide with fear.

Kei.

Hermione quickly holstered her wand. "Gomen!"

Kei closed his eyes, his breathing shallow.

"I'm sorry, Kei." Hermione bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to do. She would hug him but given how Bellatrix had immobilized him and manhandled him, that probably wasn't a good idea. Maybe keep talking? "It's ok. You're home. You're safe. I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you."

Kei's breathing was slowly steadying he opened his eyes wearily. "That's a lie. You've given me a bloody nose several times."

Hermione gave him a wry smile, "I'll never hurt you while I'm awake. That better?"

He nodded, then slowly walked into the kitchen, still watching her wand arm warily. "I'd ask why you're down here, but I assume you had bad dreams, too?"

Hermione sighed. How she wished he didn't have to add the 'too' to that sentence. "Hai."

"And Kuroo-senpai's not here to help distract you?"

"Your parents don't want him inside at night. We try to respect that."

Kei snorted. "They trust you, it's just a propriety thing. They wouldn't mind if he came into the kitchen and the two of you talked over tea."

"It's not like we have to be in proximity to talk…" Hermione shrugged. "It really isn't that big of a deal, Kei-kun. We're fine. He's trying to go back to sleep at the moment."

Kei poured himself a cup of tea. Hermione frowned. His hand was still shaking slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, but he gave her an annoyed look, so she shut her mouth. He clearly didn't want to talk about it—either his dream or the fact that she scared him. She looked down into her tea, frustrated.

He leaned against the counter next to her, sighing softly. "I've missed this."

Hermione looked up at him sharply, confused. This?

"Being able to talk with you without Kuroo-senpai or someone else around."

Hermione blinked. Was it really that bad? She tried to think of the last time she had spoken alone with Kei…and came up blank. Even if they had a few moments alone, Tetsurou would eventually arrive. It was just been a side-effect of their inability to be far from each other until the bond finished developing. "Gomen." She hadn't even realized.

Kei shrugged. "It's no big deal, really."

"Kei-kun…" Hermione watched him as he sipped his tea, clearly exhausted. She wondered if he would ever have even mentioned it if she hadn't caught him half-asleep like this. She sighed again.

"It's obviously bothered you, though."

Silence.

"We used to just read together and talk. I'm selfish, that's all. It's not like we're doing anything different."

Hermione smiled softly. "Next time Tetsurou needs to brew something, let's read in a different room together."

Golden eyes turned to evaluate her expression.

"You don't have to."

"I'm told sibling bonding time is important."

He blinked. "We're not actually siblings."

"You're the one that said we were good enough-as. You're stuck with me now." Hermione finished off her tea as Kei continued to stare at her.

Finally he closed his eyes and sighed, tilting his head back until it touched the cabinets. "Arigatou."

She smiled at him. "Do me a favor? If something's bothering you, next time don't wait to tell me until you're half exhausted at 4 am to finally admit something."

He shrugged. "It's not like it's really bothering me."

"Mmhmm." Hermione rolled her eyes, smiling indulgently at her cousin. "Whatever you say, Kei-kun."

* * *

A/N: Sorry this ch. Is so short. I wrote Blessings mid-semester, so some weeks I only had enough time to write quick scenes instead of combining multiple scenes into a ch.

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: I promise there will be some Hermione/Kuroo in the next ch! Hermione and Tsukki needed some time together


	11. The Ambassador's Meeting

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

There were some days when Hermione wished that she could skip forward in time. Anything to avoid the next 24 hours.

She sighed, playing with a blade of grass by her foot. Tetsurou was in class, so, for the moment at least, Hermione was once again sitting on the Nekoma campus, invisible. In a blouse and khakis.

The Ambassador's meeting was today.

And her birthday was tomorrow.

And she still didn't know what Tetsurou was planning for that, but it would be far more enjoyable than the meeting today.

The one thing she did know was that she did not want to attend the meeting. Kingsley said she just needed to take notes and that she wouldn't need to speak at all… but Kingsley also didn't even know where the meeting would be held, just that the Transportation office wanted her to come early at noon and they would take her to the location.

The last time she had been in that room, Tetsurou was being tortured by Bellatrix.

She closed her eyes, trying to chase away the memory.

It didn't help that Tetsurou wouldn't be able to come with her, so they would be testing how much distance would affect their bond now that there had been more time for it to settle.

Yet another reason to avoid this meeting.

 _You'll be fine, Mio. Akaashi's uncle has appointed someone to make sure you get everything you need, right?_

Hermione bit her lip. She didn't mean to distract him. _Pay attention to class._

 _Your anxiety is making that a bit difficult, love. I think the kid next to me is about to stab me with a pencil because I keep fidgeting so much._

 _Gomen._

 _Eh. It's kind of fun to see how much I can annoy him before he reacts._

 _That's not very nice, Tetsurou._

 _Yeah, yeah._

Hermione leaned back against the tree with a sigh. Half an hour until she left. _I'm sorry I'll be leaving during your class._

 _Tch. I'm definitely going to the restroom right before you leave. That way controlling my reaction won't be a problem._

 _Probably for the best._ The combination of nausea from the apparition and the emptiness from the distance on their bond was not likely to be pleasant.

 _Why don't you practice meditating? George said that would help us progress with the mental aspect of our bond, right?_

Hermione sighed. _I'll try._

She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the feel of the tree against her back, the breeze against her skin, the sunlight on her face…

 _I'm in the restroom._

 _Already?_ Apparently the meditation had worked.

She did not want to do this.

 _You'll be fine, Mio. You just need to go there and take notes, right?_

 _Right…_

 _Together. 3._

 _2._

 _1._

She apparated.

Nausea.

Emptiness.

She swayed on her feet.

Don't collapse at the ministry.

Don't throw up at the ministry.

The emptiness wasn't as bad as last time. It was like…like she'd forgotten something but couldn't remember what. Like there was something she needed that just wasn't there, that was just beyond reach.

Don't focus on it. They just needed to last a few hours.

She opened her eyes.

Her disillusionment was thankfully still in effect, so no one was looking at her. Well, no one except the man behind the desk. They must have some sort of monitoring spell in place.

She cancelled the disillusionment and the man nodded approvingly. No one else gave her a second glance.

No one except a young man, probably in his early thirties, wearing a suit and glasses while leaning against the far wall. He started looking between her and a sheet of paper in his hands, then hurried over to her.

"Hello! You must be Ms. Granger?"

Hermione nodded slowly at the stranger.

"I'm Fujita Katashi, Assistant Director of the Japanese Magical Education Department. Minister Akaashi asked that I escort you to the meeting."

"Minister?" Hermione squeaked in surprise. Akaashi had never told her _that_ detail. Fujita raised an eyebrow, so Hermione hastily elaborated, "Forgive me, my friend, Akaashi Keiji-san neglected to mention his uncle's role in the government. It's nice to meet you, Fujita-san."

Fujita laughed, "Great uncle. He's quite a bit older than Keiji-san's uncle. Akaashi Hibiki-san is the brother of Akaashi Keiji's great-grandfather."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Great uncle, then." She paused, then decided she might as well ask, "How are you so familiar with the Akaashi family tree?"

He smiled gently, "It's common knowledge that those with names starting with 'k' in the Akaashi family are the oldest male son in each generation that's in the line of heirs. All the five families have thematic names like that to make sure that everyone respects their heirs."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "And of course he neglected to mention this to me."

"To be fair, he is probably used to everyone already knowing and didn't think about the fact that you didn't know." Fujita grinned at her, "As long as you didn't insult him, there's no harm done. And if you're friends, I doubt you did that."

She shook her head, "It still would have been nice to know." And she'd have to ask Tetsurou later why he neglected to tell her.

"Well, the government rooms are through this tori gate over here." He gestured vaguely with his hand, then began walking in that direction.

Hermione quickly followed. "What name do we need to say?"

"Just your own name. As long as you are authorized, you will be transported to the building." He stopped underneath the gate and gave her a reassuring smile. "See you there." With that, he stated his name and disappeared.

Hermione bit her lip but stepped forward. "Hermione Granger." Immediately she felt the odd pull take hold as she was transported away.

She winced as the feeling of emptiness became sharper. Wherever they were, it wasn't in Tokyo. Tetsurou felt…a good distance to the south.

"You alright?"

Hermione turned to see Fujita looking at her with concern. "Fine. Just…adjusting. I'm not used to being so far from my soulmate."

Understanding flooded his eyes. "Ah. How new is your bond?"

"Around two months."

"And it's still giving you separation pains?" Now he was looking at her with confusion.

Hermione just shrugged, not really wanting to discuss it with someone she didn't know, even if they did come recommended by Akaashi's great uncle. Sure, it was unusual to have pain from separation at this stage, but it wasn't unheard of, and he would likely just assume it was because she had above average magical strength, which people tended to think about her anyways since she was a war heroine.

"Well, this is the center of the Japanese magical government. We really don't have that many departments, so it's quite small. The translation ward is in most rooms, so that shouldn't be a problem. I understand you're just here as an intern at the moment, but you'll most likely become the full ambassador in the spring?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, once I pass my NEWTs."

"I suggest just observing everyone for now, then. Unless you feel like there's something pressing you need to contribute, of course, then feel free to speak up." He smiled, "We're here about fifteen minutes early, so do you have any questions before we enter the meeting room?"

Hermione nodded, "I know Japan has eight government departments, but will all eight have representatives present at this meeting? All I really know is that the minister told me to attend."

Fujita laughed, "We don't really like other countries knowing much about us, so you'll have to forgive your minister. He most likely really doesn't know anything. Yes, all department directors and their assistants will be present, as well as the minister and any ambassadors that want to come. Normally there's someone from America, Russia, China, Australia, and Europe, though occasionally someone else comes."

So there would be a little over 20 people. That wasn't too bad. Much smaller than the Wizengamot.

"And how long will the meeting be?"

Fujita shrugged, "Could be ten minutes or five hours—depends on what each department head wants to discuss. Unless there's an emergency session, we only meet together once every other month, so sometimes they all come with long lists. Most of the time everyone is just updating each other, though."

Hermione nodded and was about to ask him another question when someone appeared in the entryway behind them. She quickly stepped to the side of the hallway as an older gentleman in a stately kimono looked between the two of them in annoyance.

"Fujita-san. Have you picked up a stray?"

A stray? Hermione bristled, but remained silent at Fujita's warning glance. She didn't know this territory. She shouldn't start fights. Not yet, at least.

"Hardly, Sakai-san. This is Hermione Granger. She is the intern ambassador from England."

If Sakai recognized her name, he didn't show it. "I see." The man looked down his nose at her, then said something in Japanese. Hermione's eyes widened. Fujita said that the translation charm was active in the rooms, but apparently it didn't work in the hallway. She tried to think of what he had said, but for the life of her the only thing she had recognized was the verb ending.

Fujita cleared his throat, "Sakai-san asked if you are finding your time here more enjoyable than the… ah…" he looked uneasily at his elder, "ruins of rotting England."

Hermione's eyes flashed. Ruins? Rotting? "I love my home very much, but I am also enjoying my time here. I am grateful that my family invited me."

"Of course, anyone would be grateful for an invitation away from such a war-torn nation." The man patted her shoulder condescendingly, "I am glad you survived such backward prejudice, my dear. We of Japan are happy to offer you sanctuary."

With that he swept by the two of them, heading toward a room down the hallway.

Hermione stood there, frozen. Sanctuary? Is that what he thought this was? And if he was 'happy,' why did he test her knowledge of Japanese? She turned to Fujita in confusion.

He looked sheepish.

"Gomen. I know you're not running away from your country or anything like that, but…" he sighed. "As much as we like to pretend we're above prejudice, and I think we are when it comes to magical blood or creatures, many still look down on other countries. And Europe's wars don't really help its case."

Hermione internally groaned. So they thought she was fleeing from a backwards, prejudiced country. Great. "Why did he speak in Japanese?"

Fujita shrugged. "Who knows. They'll respect you more if you can speak it, though."

"I'm working on it."

"That's good."

Another person arrived beside them. Fujita immediately straightened. "Minister Akaashi!"

Akaashi? Hermione looked over the man. She blinked. He had the same eyebrows as Akaashi, albeit greyed with age. He was in a dark grey formal kimono, steely blue eyes focused on her.

"Hermione Granger, I presume?"

English. Thank goodness. "Yes. It's nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for sending Fujita-san to greet me."

He inclined his head slowly. "I trust you are feeling better after this summer's events?"

Hermione nodded quickly. "I am. Tetsurou and I greatly appreciate the help your family provided."

"Anything for young Keiji."

Hermione smiled tightly, "He is a good friend." Though it was a bit rude to remind her that their family had only helped because of that friendship, even if it was true.

"And you will be a good friend to him?"

"Of course!" Hermione tried to keep the offended tone from her voice. Akaashi and Bokuto were good people. She would always help them if they needed it.

The man's eyes took on a victorious glint. "Then I look forward to the future years, Ms. Granger. Shall we?" He waved a hand toward the room that Sakai-san had entered.

Hermione nodded slowly, wary. Fujita seemed resigned about something and fell into step behind them as she walked down the hallway next to the minister.

The man paused at the door, turning to her, "I hope you do not mind, but Akaashi shared with me that your bond is still sensitive to distance. He was concerned about your ability to attend the meeting today. If you need to leave because of your bond, we will understand. Do not fear any repercussions—we will not think that you are departing out of any insensitive or immature motivations."

And Akaashi's relatives knew about the depth of the bond because they'd been there when Tetsurou had been tortured. The minister may not know all of the exact details, but he knew her bond was a trial by fire type. She smiled tightly once again, "Thank you, Minister Akaashi. I plan on attending the full meeting, though."

"Of course." He inclined his head in acknowledgement. "You should also know that there is a telepathy dampener on the building in order to help everything remain confidential and safe."

Hermione nodded her understanding. She had assumed she would be unable to talk with Tetsurou for the duration of the meeting, even if she was less than thrilled about the forced lack of contact.

With that the minister slid open the door, then motioned for her to step through into an already crowded room. No one paid them any attention, and Hermione quickly made her way to the cushions along the back wall where Akaashi's great uncle gestured that she should sit.

Well, kneel.

Minister Akaashi knelt on a cushion at one end of the room, and eight others knelt in a rectangle, four on each side. At the right shoulder of each of the eight knelt another individual. Fujita was now kneeling beside one of them, so Hermione assumed these were the eight directors and their assistants.

The others kneeling by the wall nodded in greeting to her as she took her place.

The minister gave a generic greeting to the group, then introduced Hermione. She nodded and smiled to the others as her name was called, but she was surprised at the number of people that seemed to regard her with coolness, Sakai most of all, followed by the man to his left. She quickly determined that the two of them were the administrators for nonmagical humans and magical creatures, respectively.

The meeting droned on. They were only just now beginning to finish the recap of July.

She took notes diligently, but nothing important seemed to be discussed. Maintenance updates, population updates, updates on affairs in other countries, but no decisions or discussions of actions to be taken.

The ambassadors began to fidget on their cushions next to her. Hermione's legs were uncomfortable and protesting the cramped position, but she gamely stayed still. The emptiness in her chest was becoming more painful and problematic.

Yet they were still discussing events from August.

It had to have been at least an hour and a half, now.

Her legs had fallen asleep, and she was dreading the pins and needles sensation that would undoubtedly begin the second she moved.

They were discussing September events, now, albeit ones still in the past.

She wanted to be with Testurou. The emptiness gnawed at her mind and she stumbled a few times in her notes.

Fujita would occasionally catch her eyes and smile or nod encouragingly.

"Next week my department plans to begin our renovations in Tokyo Station…"

Next week? Finally a future event! Hermione quickly wrote it down.

It was interesting learning about the different kinds of tasks that the Japanese ministry prioritized, but the meeting had been going on for at least 2.5 hours, now.

Hermione just wasn't used to sitting for that long, anymore. Not since the tent. She was used to action, not bureaucratic drudgery.

Would she be able to do this?

She would.

It was the right decision.

It would just require some patience. Fujita had said not all meetings were this long.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

The directors and their assistants looked at the minister, startled. He had just interrupted a discussion about the rise of fairies in Hokkaido.

"We won't solve the fairy situation by just talking about it today. Go home, brainstorm, and submit your ideas to the Miya-san by the end of next week. I'll have a meeting with him and his assistant at that time to discuss the problem."

And then everyone began to stand. The meeting was adjourned.

Now she just had to move her legs.

A hand grabbed her elbow.

Hermione flinched.

The hand retreated.

"Sorry!" Hermione looked to her left. One of the ambassadors was holding up her hands apologetically. "I figured you could use some help. Kneeling for this long takes some getting used to."

Hermione smiled apologetically. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm afraid I'm still a bit jumpy after the war." Hermione held out her hand.

The woman stood up gracefully, then clasped Hermione's hand and helped pull her to her feet. Hermione winced at the stinging sensation that rapidly filled both legs.

"Understandable. I'm Mackenzie McIntyre, the ambassador from Australia. Nice to meet you, Ms. Granger."

"Nice to meet you as well. Thanks for the hand."

"No problem. You want to go get coffee or something? I can give you the lay of the land."

Hermione smiled, it was a nice thought, but she really needed to see Tetsurou at the moment. The emptiness was rapidly affecting her ability to focus. "That would be lovely, but I'm in a bit of a rush to get home at the moment. Could I owl you to set up a time?"

McIntyre laughed, "You Brits. Just give me a call." The woman reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a business card. "Or a text if you want, it doesn't matter." Hermione accepted the card gratefully with both hands, making sure to read it before putting it in her notepad carefully. She was grateful that Kei had told her the etiquette for business cards in Japan.

"Thank you. I'll be glad to do so." McIntyre grinned at her.

"Well, I'm off, then. Don't be a stranger." The woman nodded off to the side. "Looks like Fujita-san wants you for some reason. Don't let them get to you, alright? They can be a bit weird about foreigners, but he's generally a good guy." She gave her a small wave then headed toward the exit.

Hermione turned to where the woman had gestured and saw Fujita fidgeting against a wall. He grinned and came over as soon as they made eye contact. "I imagine you're eager to get home, but I just realized I hadn't told you how… there's an apparition barrier on the government rooms."

"Oh." Hermione blinked. That made perfect sense, the British ministry had those as well, after all. "Could you show me the exit, then?"

He nodded. "Follow me."

Hermione ignored the stinging in her legs and quickly fell into step behind him. She nodded at Minister Akaashi as they passed, and he returned the acknowledgement.

She followed Fujita down the main hallway, heading in the opposite direction from the entrance. When he reached a sliding door at the end, instead of entering it Fujita pulled her off to the side, into a small stairwell. Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise when he erected a privacy barrier and then handed her a business card. "This is the furthest stairwell from the meeting, so no one should bother us here, but I wanted to be sure."

Her eyes scanned the card in surprise. He wasn't just a ministry official, but also taught at Chuo University? That was interesting.

"Give me a call so that we can talk at some point, alright? I'd like to have the chance to explain what you can usually expect from each of the directors. You're really lucky Minister Akaashi likes you, you know that?"

Hermione frowned, "I am?"

"They like to haze ambassadors a bit. They usually leave you to flounder when it comes to finding the meeting location, and the first meeting with an ambassador is always abnormally long, even longer than this one. I was really worried when you said you had a sensitive bond, but apparently the minister already knew about that?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes. My soulmate and I ran into some trouble this summer and Akaashi Keiji asked his family to help us."

Fujita let out a slow whistle. "Well, between whatever that was and your war heroine status, he seems to think you don't deserve as much hazing as the others got. Just make sure you stay on his good side and thank him when you get the chance, alright? And keep in mind that he probably wants you to be Keiji-san's ally."

"Right." Hermione's mind whirled. She had just stepped into this political world and already she was in a political alliance. She didn't even know what the Akaashi's stood for, politically. She nodded absentmindedly. Regardless, she did owe a debt to the Akaashi family for their help this summer with the wards. But her priority should be the U.K. first and foremost… "Thank you for telling me."

"No problem! I'm personally against all the hazing stuff, so I'm glad to help you." Fujita grinned at her, "I'm sure you want to head home, though. Just walk down the stairwell to the first floor and you'll be able to exit. Once you're outside you can apparate. I've got to go back inside and debrief with my director."

She nodded her thanks as he slipped out the doorway, then she rushed down the stairs. Thankfully it was only two flights, and she soon saw the exit door.

Hermione blinked in the harsh sunlight. A huge field surrounded the building, giving her absolutely no clue as to where this place was located.

 _Tetsurou?_

No response. Telepathy must be blocked in the whole vicinity then. Annoying, but it made sense. Tetsurou would just have to deal with the surprise. Hermione closed her eyes and apparated to an alley near the Nekoma gym.

Nausea instantly churned in her stomach, but the sense of fullness and relief over Tetsurou's proximity was far greater.

 _Mio!_

His voice we laced with relief and worry.

 _Gomen. I didn't realize there was a telepathy barrier until I was at the government buildings._

 _So it was a barrier. I figured it was something like that, but your emotions—gyack!_

Hermione winced and rubbed her temple where she'd felt a large burst of pain. _Gyack?_

 _Ugh. Gomen. Yaku nailed me in the head because I wasn't paying attention. Come inside? I told the guys you might be stopping by afterwards._

Hermione smiled. It would be nice to be visible inside the gym for once. Though… _First, you have some explaining to do, Tetsurou. Why didn't you tell me Akaashi's 'uncle' was the minister?_

 _Akaashi said he told you his uncle is the emperor's magical advisor! It's the same thing!_

Hermione blinked, startled. _How in Merlin's name was I supposed to know that it was the same thing! We don't have that in England!_

 _You don't? How should I know that? You have a queen!_

Hermione groaned. _And he said uncle, not great uncle. What's the deal with that?_

 _Now you're just being picky. He calls most of the men in his family his uncle._

She wanted to bang her head in frustration. _And why did you say I would 'probably' be seeing his relatives if his great uncle is the minister?_

 _How was I supposed to know he'd be there? For all I knew it was a smaller meeting held by the director of international affairs._

 _Ok…_ All of this was aggravatingly reasonable, but…. _Why didn't you tell me Akaashi was in the line of heirs?_

There was a long pause. _You found that out?_

 _Yes._

 _He didn't want you to know. He liked the anonymity._ Hermione sighed. After growing up with Harry, it was hard to be angry at a reason like that. _Who told you?_

 _Fujita-san. Minister Akaashi assigned him to help me today._

 _Ah. No one Akaashi can get mad at, then._ There was a pause, then, _Now_ _will you come inside?_

Hermione sighed. She supposed the rest of the conversation could wait until later. She didn't want to distract Tetsurou unduly.

She walked around the side of the gym, then pushed open the door with a creak.

"Finally!" Hermione let out a squeak, bracing herself as Tetsurou wrapped himself around her. She pushed at his sweaty chest.

"This is disgusting! Get off!"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Nope!"

"Get off or I'll tell your team what you keep in your fridge!"

Tetsurou immediately let her go, and she sighed in relief, wrinkling her nose at the places where she could still feel his sweat. "That was disgusting."

"That was uncalled for, is what it was. How dare you blackmail me?"

"It's hardly blackmail."

"What does he keep in his fridge?" Hermione turned to see the rest of the Nekoma team looking at them curiously. She thought the one who had spoken was called Yaku.

"Sorry, but apparently it's blackmail worthy, so I'm going to keep that to myself." Hermione grinned at the boy.

He quickly turned to Kenma, "Do you know Kenma? What's in his fridge?"

"Leave me out of this."

"Aw, you can't just say that and not anything else!" Yaku turned back to Hermione, frustrated.

"Yes, she can." Tetsurou glared at his teammate.

Yaku glared right back, but another boy stepped between them. He was tall with black hair shaved into a buzzcut. "Leave it, you two."

"Tch." Yaku glared off to the side for a second, then focused back on Hermione. "I hear you're going to be here often, is that right?"

Hermione slowly nodded.

 _I told them you'd be by after your ambassador meetings and made it sound like those are more regular than they are._

"Well, if you're going to distract our captain that much, you should help us, too."

She blinked. The tall boy next to him elbowed Yaku in the ribs. "What he means is, would you be our team manager? Even if only part-time?"

"Oh." Hermione hadn't expected the team to ask her. Or to be asked so soon. She still nodded, though. There was no reason she couldn't, other than not wanting to explain _how_ she got to Tokyo so often. "Yes, I'd be happy too. I'll have a lot to learn, though."

 _I explained. Said you were staying in the room next to my parents and acted as if we are never alone at my house._

 _Arigatou._

One of the other boys was stepping forward, holding out a sports jacket with the Nekoma logo across the back. "Welcome to the team, then!"

She took the jacket gingerly, then held it up to look at it. She'd never thought that she would own a muggle sports jacket like this.

"Go on, put it on." Tetsurou was grinning at her.

Still somewhat shocked by the weirdness of her being part of a sports team in any way, Hermione slipped the jacket on over her blouse. She must look ridiculous with a sports jacket on over business casual clothing. She'd have to change in the future.

Suddenly, the boys all bowed as one, Tetsurou included, and called out "Thank you for joining the team. We look forward to working with you."

"Ah…" Hermione looked around uneasily, "Arigatou. Thank you for the opportunity." Thankfully they began to rise back up after she responded.

Kenma spoke up quietly, "Happy Birthday. I know it's a day early, but…" he shrugged, "It's not like Kuro would have let us ask you tomorrow."

Hermione blushed. "Arigatou." So that's why they'd asked her earlier than she'd expected. Tetsurou had told them her birthday was coming. She rubbed the sleeve of the jacket, still a bit befuddled, yet also happy.

She turned to Tetsurou, confused. "Don't you have practice tomorrow, though?"

"Nope." Tetsurou grinned at her, clearly proud of himself. "I got it moved. Privileges of being the captain."

"They just let you do that?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Consider that the other part of your birthday present from the team." Yaku was glaring at Tetsurou. "Now we have to practice on Friday this week."

"Oh." Hermione bit her lip, unsure. "Arigatou."

"It's fine, really!" Kai was waving his hands now, trying to assuage her. "We don't mind. Once he figured out why Kuroo wanted to move practice, Yamamoto practically insisted we do it-Right Yamamoto?"

He turned to the boy with the mohawk, who just looked between them both, confused. Kai sighed and said something in Japanese. The boy started nodding profusely. "Hai!" He added something in Japanese, but the only word Hermione caught was 'girl.' She looked at Tetsurou for a translation.

"He said, 'Anything for a pretty girl.'"

Kenma spoke up, "You forgot the 'even if it's also for our idiot captain.'"

Tetsurou's eyebrow twitched. "You didn't have to add that part, Kenma." His friend shrugged.

Hermione laughed at the two of them, but before she could respond a whistle sounded from the coach, and the boys immediately disbanded, heading back to the net.

"Neither of the coaches is that good with English. So I'll be giving you instructions." Tetsurou grinned at her.

"Oh? Will you now?" Hermione raised an eyebrow, turning to face her soulmate.

"Well, I don't know if you know this, but I am the team captain."

"You? I never would have guessed. I would have thought it was mister tall and reliable over there since he was the one that needed to break up your fight."

"Kai?!" Tetsurou glared at her. "As if; he's just the vice-captain."

"Mmhm."

"Keep this up and you'll have to clean our club room."

"I worked with the Karasuno team long enough to know that cleaning your club room is definitely _not_ one of my tasks as manager."

"Things are different here."

"Right. Well, I won't be doing that, so good luck."

"Kuroo! Stop flirting!" Yaku was glaring at them from over by the net.

"You're just jealous! I'll be right there!"

"I am not, you idiot! Don't make me come over there and drag you back here!"

Tetsurou opened his mouth to yell back a reply, but Hermione cleared her throat. He turned back to her sheepishly. "Gomen. Yaku's just a jerk like that."

"Right." She grinned at him, barely containing her laughter.

"Anyway, the coaches want you to watch the first years as they do receive drills and count how many receives each does well during practice."

"Well?"

"They need to send the balls back to the setter. You want him to be moving as little as possible."

"Ok, can do. They're over at that court?" She gestured toward where some younger looking players were setting up.

"Hai. I think the coaches are trying to keep us separate for now."

"Like that small of a distance would mean anything to us."

Tetsurou grinned, "Well I can't give you sweaty hugs, at least."

"A large blessing, to be sure. I should thank them."

A volleyball come flying toward them, hitting Tetsurou square in the back. Hermione winced at the pain.

"Oi! Idiot! Get over here and stop flirting, already!" Yaku was glaring at them, hefting another ball in his hands.

"You freaking demon, do you have to throw balls at me like that?!" Tetsurou was already walking toward his teammate, clearly annoyed.

Hermione decided that she'd let them argue it out, or at least let Kai handle the two of them once more. For now, she could work with the first years.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: Back to some Hermione/Kuroo goodness.  
Hermione and Tsukki def hung out in unwritten scenes at the start, but there hasn't been too much time for that since the soulbond.


	12. Hermione's Birthday, part 1

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione leaned against the school gate, visible for all to see. She hugged the Nekoma jacket tighter around her, feeling incredibly out of place. Despite the jacket, all of the students were giving her odd looks, despite the fact that she was wearing their school jacket. Being foreign made her stand out, no matter what.

Tetsurou has said to wait for him at the front of school when it let out, and his class had ended five minutes ago…

 _What's taking you so long?_

A group of girls walked by, giggling.

 _Gomen. I left my bento box in Kenma's classroom and I need to go get it back._

Hermione's eyebrow twitched. _Can't you just pick it up this evening?_

A group of boys were watching her from the schoolyard, whispering to each other. They probably thought they were being subtle, but they weren't.

Hermione sighed.

 _Tonight's supposed to be about you, though!_

 _It would take five seconds, Tetsurou. He lives next door._

Great. One of the boys had apparently decided to approach her.

 _A guy is coming over to flirt with me and this is all your fault._

 _What?! Not ok! I'm coming._

 _Oh, now you come._

"Konnichiwa!" The boy gave her what she assumed was supposed to be a friendly smile and asked her something in Japanese. Maybe what class she was in?

"None of your business." His eyes widened.

 _This wouldn't be happening if you'd come straight here like you'd said you were. Why did you think I was annoyed?_

"English?" The boy was grinning now. "Your accent is cute. I'm Ito Akinari. What's your name?"

Why did he have to be willing to continue this conversation in English? Hermione cursed her luck.

 _I thought you were just being impatient!_

Hermione sighed, annoyed with both boys. "Granger Hermione."

"Foreign names are so cool. How long have you been in Japan?"

Tetsurou was getting closer. He'd left the school building. Turning to look for him would be weird, though. Too coincidental. "Since summer."

"Really? Are you visiting someone? Is that why you're here—you're waiting on a relative?"

Tetsurou was closer now. Any second and…

"Scram, Ito-san."

Hermione relaxed against the arm that wrapped around her waist. "Took you long enough, Tetsurou."

He grinned at her, and Hermione realized belatedly that she'd used his first name. She blushed. That wasn't…too unusual with couples, at least. Well, with couples that had been together a while. At least Ito didn't know how long she'd known Tetsurou.

The boy was looking between the two of them with wide eyes. "You…uh…you're dating Kuroo-san?" His voice was actually squeaking. What the heck.

 _Why is he so scared of you?_

 _I'm sure I have no idea._

Hermione scoffed internally. Right. She returned her attention to the quaking boy. "Hai."

"Oh. Eto… Have a good day." With that, the boy hightailed it back to his friends.

Hermione turned to face a smirking Tetsurou, who was watching the crowd of boys with an amused glint in his eyes. He looked ridiculously good in his school uniform, his jacket slung over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up.

He smirked at her arousal, "Like what you see?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You already know the answer to that, Tetsurou. More importantly, what did you do to that boy?"

"He was in my class last year and sat next to me for a while, but I occasionally saw him glancing at my paper. So I started doodling really gruesome pictures of stick figures dying." Tetsurou feigned a confused expression, "Apparently that freaked him out."

Hermione snorted. "What the heck, Tetsurou."

"I don't like cheaters."

"Was he actually cheating, though?"

"Well…no. But still. I like my privacy."

Hermione laughed, "Whatever. Are you going to actually take me somewhere now?"

"Of course." He slipped his hand into hers. "This way, Birthday Girl."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." He kept his eyes straight ahead, preventing her from gathering a memory.

"Tetsurou…" He laughed at her annoyed expression.

"Somehow, I keep forgetting you don't like those." His grin was mischievous.

"You do not, you brat."

"You sure about that?"

"I can literally read your mind."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But you promised not to for birthday related things. Come on, just a few streets down. It will be fun."

"So not the shopping center."

"Nope. We're staying in the world of your childhood, today." So something nonmagical. Where would he take her in muggle Tokyo?

She groaned. That was impossible to guess. There were too many things. He had said it was close, though.

"Just give up and be surprised, love." He grinned at her. "I promise it will be fun."

"Hmph." She turned her head to the side, sulking.

"Ito-san didn't bother you too much, did he?"

"No, I just don't like dealing with guys like that. At Hogwarts we'd all known each other since we were eleven, so that kind of situation never happened."

"It must've been weird to know everyone like that."

"Not really. It was just normal. Most of the children from wizarding families had known each other for even longer."

"Weird. The only people I've known for that long are Bokuto and Kenma."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "You've known Bokuto that long?"

"Yeah. I used to live over close to him when I was really little and we played volleyball together, then in elementary school I moved next to Kenma, and didn't really see Bokuto much until high school. We always stayed in touch, though."

"So you knew him before Akaashi, then?"

"Eh… I'm not really sure, to be honest. Bokuto's known Akaashi since his first accidental…eto…accident." Hermione laughed.

Tetsurou glared at her sullenly, "Shut up. It's hard to code things sometimes. Anyway, I don't know when that happened, since I didn't figure out that we had that common trait until last year. I recognized Akaashi's name at training camp and told him as much. Man, Bokuto freaked out." He smiled softly, clearly remembering the scene.

Curious, Hermione entered Tetsurou's mind through their link. She giggled at the image of an overenthusiastic second-year Bokuto hopping up and down while Akaashi frantically held his hand over Bokuto's mouth to keep him from spilling secrets about magic.

Tetsurou grinned at her, "Yeah, Akaashi had to drag him to an empty room quickly before he burst apart."

"Poor Akaashi." She laughed, "Bokuto didn't mention Akaashi's name before then?"

"Well, yeah, but how was I to ask the guy about it before I met him? And then Bokuto introduced him as Akaashi Keiji, and once I knew his first name started with a 'k' it was pretty damn obvious who Akaashi was, but I still didn't know if Bokuto knew that or not."

"It must be hard to have no way to know if the people around you have magic."

"Yeah. Before I met Akaashi I used to wish I had a recognizable name like he does. Now, though, I've heard enough of his complaints about random people approaching him to know otherwise."

Tetsurou stopped in the street, tugging her toward the doors. Hermione wrinkled her nose at the noise coming from inside the building.

Tetsurou laughed. "You can do something to mute the volume if you want, but I promise it's fun. And you said you regretted not having done a lot of normal games and such before you went to school."

With that, he opened the doors. Immediately the music became ten times louder and electronic sound effects filled the air

Hermione dropped her wand into her sleeve and cast a very limited muffliato directly around herself. Unfortunately that would have the side effect of also muffling her own voice, though, so…

 _An arcade, Tetsurou?_

He grinned at her. _You'll get to play a lot of those games you missed. I'd bet you haven't even played Mario Kart, have you_.

Hermione bit her lip and slowly shook her head. She knew he could feel her confusion over the bond.

He laughed, _Come on. It'll be fun, I promise._ He grabbed her hand, weaving through the rows machines to reach the stairs. _Up here. Though…_ he stopped in the middle of a bunch of crane games. _Do you want anything?_

Hermione stared at him incredulously. _These games just steal your money, Tetsurou._

 _Nah, you just have to know how to handle them._ He looked around at the different options in the games. _Pocky? That's not too sweet._

 _I'll pass._

 _Pikachu? Polar Bear? Gudetama? Heart? Puppy? Slime? Lucky cat? Princess? Kirby? Mario?_

 _Tetsurou!_

 _What?_ He put on his best innocent smile. _I have to win something for my beautiful date on her birthday._

Hermione blushed. She still wasn't used to his compliments. _Fine, if you insist. The cat._

 _Your wish is my command._ He grinned at her, then went over to the token machine underneath the stairs.

She watched incredulously as he put a token into the machine, then slowly moved the crane toward a plushie that was sitting on top of a pile. She shook her head when it wobbled, but slipped through the crane's grasp.

 _See—_

 _Oh, be quiet._ He opened his palm to show three more tokens. _I need to position it, first. Three more tries and I'll have it._

Hermione raised an eyebrow incredulously but gestured for him to go ahead.

Tetsurou turned back to the machine, tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Hermione watched the crane with amusement. The toy _was_ shifting with each try. On the third go, it lifted up into the air precariously. Tetsurou let out a whoop of joy, but it quickly turned into an annoyed groan when the toy fell right next to the exit.

Hermione laughed.

 _Shut up._ He groaned again, _It's not even positioned well. Three more tries._

He trudged over to the token machine again, annoyance radiating from his body.

 _You don't have to, Tetsu._

 _Nope. I'm getting you the cat._

This time, the cat did tumble down the shaft on the third try. Tetsurou grinned as he handed it to her. _There you go. You just have to know the trick, like I said._

 _Right._ Hermione smirked at him, _And who was it that said they would get it in four tries?_

 _I was close, alright! I got it in the air._

 _And how much money have you spent practicing this?_

He shrugged, _I just watched Kenma play his virtual one for a while and noticed the pattern. When I tried it on the real ones, it worked just as well._

Hermione laughed, _Is there any game Kenma isn't good at?_

 _Nope. Well, sports arcade games aren't his best, but he's good at their virtual equivalents. Speaking of which, come on. I promised you I'd kick your butt at Mario Kart. It's about time I had a chance at winning this game._

 _Is that your real reason for bringing me here? So that you could finally beat someone?_

 _You try losing to the same person for your entire life. It's degrading, I tell you._

 _Poor Tetsurou._ Hermione rolled her eyes, but followed her eager boyfriend upstairs.

 _What if I win?_

Tetsurou grinned at her, _I've had lots of practice with Kenma. That won't be happening._

 _You've had lots of practice losing, you mean._

Tetsurou glared at her, _Rude._ stopping in front of two machines with steering wheels. Hermione glanced up to see the words Mario Kart scrolled across a race track.

 _It's a racing game? Tetsurou, I don't even know how to drive._

 _Which is precisely why I'll win._

Hermione groaned. _Whatever. Let's do this._ She had played a racing game a few times with her dad when she was little…

Tetsurou grinned, fishing some more tokens out of his pocket and handing her some. _You'll need two. Don't forget to use the pedal._

 _Oh, shove it. I know that much._ She shoved the two tokens inside the game, then scrolled through the character options. She had no clue who any of these characters even were…might as well pick the green dinosaur. She figured Kei would approve. She glanced briefly at Tetsurou's screen and saw that he'd picked the character with the big red and white hat.

She began accelerating as soon as the green light shone and quickly passed Tetsurou, much to his annoyance. They were on a rainbow of some sort, and it was a bit tricky to stay on the track, but she managed.

Tetsurou, on the other hand, did not, if his shout of dismay was anything to go by.

Hermione raced around the track, coming in third place. She turned to see Tetsurou still on his second lap.

 _What the heck? How are you this bad?_ Hermione laughed as he passed the finish line and the kanji for eight popped up on the screen.

 _It's rainbow road! Everyone sucks at rainbow road! How did you not fall off? You cheated._

 _Sorry, but no._

 _I demand a rematch!_ He held out two tokens.

Hermione rolled her eyes and put them into the machine. _If you suck this badly, the level isn't going to matter, Tetsurou._

 _I will beat you and have my vengeance._

 _Uh-huh._ The screen flashed the green light. Hermione's dinosaur sped forward, but the mushroom hat didn't move. _You might want to pay attention to the screen, then, love._

 _Shit!_

Hermione laughed, then focused on the course in front of her. They were in a jungle this time.

She came in second.

Tetsurou came in eighth. Again.

 _That's it, we're trying another game._

Hermione shrugged, _Sure._

Tetsurou motioned toward a bunch of machines in the far corner. _It's a mecha game. You get in and it looks like you're in a gundam or something and you have to protect the city._

 _Gundam?_

Tetsurou groaned. _Giant robot. Whoever saves the most people wins._

Hermione smirked at him, _I literally helped save magical Britain, Tetsurou. I think I have a bit of a head start on you._

He threw two tokens at her head, and Hermione barely caught them. _Real life doesn't count!_

 _Well that's no fun…_ She grinned at him, but went over to the machines and stepped inside.

All the controls were in Japanese. _Cheater._

 _I have no idea what you're talking about._ Her eyebrow twitched.

 _What do the controls do?_

 _Would you look at that, my game's about to start!_

 _Jerk._

Hermione bit her lip and looked around her in confusion. That slot was probably where the tokens went…she slipped them inside and the game flared to life.

Hermione ignored the instructions since it wasn't like she could understand them, anyway, and started pressing buttons to try to figure out what they did.

5 confusing minutes later, she had managed to save 52 people. Or killed 52 people? The number 52 flashed on the screen.

Tetsurou was leaning against the machine when she stepped outside. _How many?_

 _It's the number that flashes at the end, right?_

He burst out laughing, _Hai._

 _52._

 _What the heck? You're lying!_ He opened the door to her machine. The number 52 was still flashing.

 _I take it I won again?_

 _How the heck did you manage that? You're on the high score board! You couldn't even read anything!_ Tetsurou was waving his arms in disbelief, pure incredulousness coming across their bond in waves.

Hermione laughed. _Maybe it was because I wasn't distracted by reading everything?_

 _This is not ok._

Tetsurou grabbed her arm, then pulled her toward another group of machines. No, dart boards. Virtual ones? She hadn't seen these before. She fingered the blunted ends of the five darts that Tetsurou handed her. So there was some sort of censor or magnet then?

 _I'll start._

Hermione leaned back and watched as Tetsurou threw the darts. He at least had some form while he prepared to throw. And she always appreciated a good chance to watch his arms. She was quickly realizing that she definitely liked that particular body part.

Tetsurou threw her a smirk, then returned his attention to the game.

The first dart landed a little off from the center. Hermione frowned. If his aim was that good, they probably should have given him some daggers when the Lestranges were pursuing him…

The second one hit the center of the circle.

She'd definitely have to give him some daggers later.

The other three darts landed a fair distance apart—none of them on the edge, but none of them in the center, either.

 _There! Take that. This is the one game I can beat Kenma in._

Hermione smiled sweetly at him, hefting the dart in the palm of her hand. It was a bit different from what she was used to, but….

Her dart struck the center of the board. Hermione grinned. Her dad had had a dart board in the basement and she'd grown up playing against him. She turned to meet Tetsurou's eyes, inviting him to see the memory.

The slightest twinge later, and Tetsurou's mood was alternating between incredulous and amused. _Holding out on me, Mio?_

 _I didn't realize it would be an issue._ Her second dart hit the center, the remaining three landing right next to the others. _I grew up with the game, and aiming spells isn't all that different, really. I've had lots of practice._

 _I will find one where I can beat you._

Hermione shook her head. _I'm beginning to doubt that, Tetsurou. Unless you want to do something cheap like a strength test._

 _Never! I will win fair and square._ He began to wander throughout the arcade. Hermione followed behind his broad shoulders, taking the time to appreciate the smooth way he moved. First they did a whack-a-mole game of some sort. Then a rhythm game, which Tetsurou very nearly beat her at, but messed up on the ending because he was excited. Then there was a shooting game, as if he hadn't already learned from darts that she had good aim. Then a jet skiing game. Then street fighters.

She won every one.

Tetsurou knelt down against the wall, glaring at her. _I'm losing on purpose. It's a birthday present._

Hermione knelt down next to him, bumping her shoulder against his. _So if we come again, there won't be a repeat performance of this losing streak?_

 _No. Never. Wouldn't happen._

 _Right._

He sighed next to her, glancing at his watch. _It's about time for dinner, so we should probably head out, as much as I would like to keep looking for a game where I will beat you._

 _Dinner?_

All she could feel was mischievousness and contentment from their bond. _You'll see._ He stood up, then held out his hand to help her up.

 _Brat._ She took his hand, and he pulled her up, smirking at her as he pulled her closer than necessary.

Since no one could see them in this corner, Hermione didn't put distance between them and instead leaned against his chest. His arm automatically wrapped around her waist. _You had fun, though?_

 _Yes. Thank you. I'd been to an arcade a few times with my parents as a kid, but…_ she blushed and smiled up at him, _It's nice going to one with someone my age. With you._

He grinned at her. _I'm glad._

They walked through the maze of games quietly, hand in hand and occasionally dodging through other customers. When they went through the exit, Hermione was surprised to find that the sun had already set.

"Time flies when you're having fun, right?" Tetsurou was smiling down at her.

She nodded, clutching his hand with one hand and the stuffed cat with her other. "Where are we going to dinner?"

"I'll take us there once we find a quiet spot." Hermione nodded, letting him once again lead her through the crowd by the hand. Hermione stayed close, annoyed by the few girls that gave Tetsurou appreciative looks. Couldn't they see he was taken? Thankfully they soon they reached an alley and slipped inside.

"They were just strangers, Mio." Tetsurou was grinning at her, clearly amused, but also a little aroused.

Hermione blushed. "I know, but we're clearly together and, well…" _they're prettier._

"None of that." Tetsurou stepped closer to her. "You're gorgeous, love. I wouldn't want to be paired with anyone else.

"Tetsurou…" She knew he said that, but it wasn't like he'd had a choice…

He sighed, "Birthdays are special occasions, right?"

Hermione slowly nodded as his hand reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, then slipped down to tilt her chin upwards.

"Good. Then I'll just have to show you how much I appreciate you." Her stomach clenched at the huskiness of his voice. He dipped his head down, soft lips tilting against her own.

Their magic swirled together, and Hermione lost herself into the sensations, letting Tetsurou dominate the kiss. His hand slipped into her hair at the base of her neck, and the other went to her waist, pulling her closer. Her own hands threaded through his hair, trying to find some anchor for herself amidst all of the sensations.

Gradually he slowed down, then rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.

"Do you believe me now?"

Hermione whimpered, still recovering from the onslaught of his feelings and her own emotions. He sighed, threading his fingers gently through her hair. She never wanted him to stop. "Do you know how tempting it is to just kiss you forever and never go to dinner?"

Hermione blushed. "Tetsu…"

He groaned, then slanted his mouth over hers once more, briefly, before turning his lips to her neck, plating soft, open-mouthed kisses across it.

Hermione gasped, closing her eyes at the new sensations. She shivered when he gently pushed her the shoulder of her shirt aside before continuing his trail of kisses.

When he reached the end of her shoulder, Tetsurou pulled back again. His eyes were darker, making something stir at the bottom of her stomach. "You must know what you do to me, Mio."

Hermione swallowed. She knew. She could feel it through the bond. His desire was… overwhelming. And confusing. How could someone as attractive as Tetsurou desire someone like her, especially so strongly?

He hissed in annoyance. "Please don't doubt yourself, Mio. You're beautiful." He pulled her closer again.

Hermione whimpered as his teeth pulled on her earlobe, hot breath ghosting against her skin. She closed her eyes, completely overwhelmed by all of the sensations he was pulling from her, by their magic still swirling playfully around them. Her hands clutched frantically at the back of his shirt. She whined as his fingers traced her jaw, as his mouth dipped down to cover hers once more.

Tetsurou's phone began to vibrate.

He froze.

"We should go." His voice was faint, barely even a whisper. Hermione rested her head against his shoulder, reluctant to move.

"Do we have to?" She tilted her head, tentatively kissing the column of his throat.

He pulled his head back with a groan. "God, Mio." His voice was tight, "Yes. Yes we do."

Hermione kissed behind his ear, slowly threading her hands through his hair. It felt so soft…

"Mio, love…I'd love to keep doing this, believe me, but…"

Her hand stilled, and she sighed. "Alright. Take me to this dinner you have planned."

He groaned, but tucked his head over her shoulder, surrounded her with his arms, and then disapparated, pulling her with him.

"Really? You had to arrive like that?"

Hermione blinked at her cousin's voice.

Tetsurou snorted over her shoulder, then raised his voice, "The more two people brace each other with contact while apparating, the less each will feel side-effects like nausea." Well, she was less nauseous than usual right now…

"Oh and I'm sure that's the only reason you were that close, senpai."

Tetsurou was smirking as he pulled back from her, "Are you trying to suggest something, Tsukki?"

Kei's eyebrow twitched when he saw them both more fully. "You should both try to look less like you just made out in an alleyway before you come inside." He turned around and quickly went through the door, closing it behind him with a snap.

Hermione blushed as Tetsurou started snickering next to her.

She pulled out her wand, applying a quick hair spell to straighten her hair, then Tetsurou's. He grinned at her. "Ready to face the family, love?"

"You couldn't have warned me that we needed to fix our hair and such before we got here?" Hermione glared at him, but he just continued to smirk unrepentantly.

"How was I to know someone would be in the backyard? And I was a bit distracted, if you might remember. At least I asked for the birthday kiss _before_ we got here." His hand reached up and gently corrected the neckline of her shirt.

Hermione blushed, but decided to change the subject. "So dinner is here?"

"Yeah, your aunt really wanted to have a family dinner, and who am I to protest?"

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Tetsurou." If he'd pushed the subject, Hermione was sure that her aunt would have let him do dinner with just the two of them, but she hadn't had a birthday dinner with family in so long… this would be nice.

He lifted up her hand, kissing it gently. "Ready to go inside?"

Hermione nodded and headed toward the backdoor. After she opened it, though, she blinked in shock.

It wasn't just the Tsukishimas.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: Hermione's used to a large government, where being important doesn't mean being the #1 person in charge, so that's why I decided she would be surprised. And yes, there will definitely be more cultural confusion :)


	13. Hermione's Birthday, part 2

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

So sorry this update took forever! I had some health issues spring up that are kinda causing chaos in my life atm.

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey! Look who finally arrived!" Bokuto was grinning at her, Akaashi standing right next to him.

There was a chorus of Happy Birthdays around the very crowded room.

The door clicked shut as Tetsurou came to stand next to her.

 _What the heck, Tetsurou? This is not a family dinner._

 _It's a dinner made by your aunt and all the Tsukishimas are here. There are just others, as well._

"Did you have a good train ride, Granger?" Train ride? Akaashi was looking at her expectantly. He nodded his head toward the left side of the room.

Yamaguchi, Yachi, and Shumizu all smiled and waved.

Ah. Train ride. She waved back.

 _Then how are you guys supposedly getting back to Tokyo?_

 _We're supposedly catching the early commuter train in the morning._

Hermione wrinkled her nose. That was ridiculously early. Then she realized that Akaashi was still staring at her. What had he asked about, again? Her train ride. Right. "Yes, thank you." They really needed to get better about hiding when they were telepathically communicating.

She was happy to see them, but their presence meant she wouldn't get to discuss the ambassador's meeting with Akaashi. Or his status as heir to one of the most influential families in Japanese politics. Or the fact that his great uncle already assumed they were in a political alliance and she knew nothing about the Akaashis' political views.

Her eyebrow twitched. "We need to talk later."

Akaashi smiled pleasantly at her. "Of course. Birthdays aren't the place for such conversations, though."

"Eh?" Bokuto looked between them in confusion, "What?"

Tetsurou sighed, "Don't worry about it, bro. They're being boring and politicking."

"Eh?!" Now his eyes had widened in alarm, "Why would you do that? 'kaashi's right, it's your birthday, Granger."

"Hai, hai." She rolled her eyes. "I suppose I should go say hi to the other guests, then."

"And while you do that, I'm going to go pry Kenma from his video game."

Hermione laughed, looking around for the small setter. Tetsurou sighed and gestured over to the back corner, where Kenma was leaning next to a tall plant and paying no attention to anyone else. "Good luck with that."

He gave her a put-upon expression, "Such is my lot in life."

As he walked over to Kenma, Hermione excused herself from her conversation with Bokuto and Akaashi and approached her relatives. She gave her aunt a hug, "Tetsurou said this was your idea and that you cooked everything. Arigatou."

"Oh, it was no problem, dear. Kei's the one who suggested we have your friends come, as well. We tried to get in touch with some of your friends from England, but with the time difference it was practically impossible to plan anything, especially if we wanted your nonmagical friends to be able to come."

Hermione blinked. They had tried to make the gathering even bigger? Even just considering the size of their house that would have been impossible without wizard space. "I understand. Thank you for trying." It would have been nice to see her friends, but it was important to build new friendships, too, as Luna kept trying to remind her.

She turned to her cousins, "Thank you for coming home from university, Akiteru."

He grinned at her and winked, "No problem! After all, you came back from Tokyo. Though…" his expression turned mischievous as he leaned forward in a stage whisper, "What is this Kei told me about you and Kuroo-san looking a bit disheveled?"

Hermione blushed bright red. Her uncle's eyes widened, but her aunt just laughed. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You're young. I'm just glad you're not doing worse than that." She patted her shoulder, "I'm going to go check on the food. It should be done by now."

"I'll help." Riku-san nodded toward them, then followed his wife to the kitchen.

"Kei-kun!" Hermione hissed at her cousin, "Did you have to tell everyone?"

"Please." Akiteru grinned, "He came in looking disgruntled. I had to get him to tell me why. It was all out of brotherly concern, you know."

Both brothers were wearing identical smirks. Hermione glared at them. It was rare that the two agreed on things, but apparently teasing her was going to be one of those topics. Lovely.

"You had less than a minute before I came in."

Kei shrugged, "Nii-san was very concerned. I had to tell him that I was merely upset by your shocking behavior."

"Shocking. Right." Hermione sniffed, "Well. I'm going to go talk to people who won't make fun of me."

The two brothers snickered as she gave them the cold shoulder and walked over to her nonmagical friends.

"Happy Birthday!" The three grinned at her. Shimizu added, "We haven't seen you around the gym in a while. Apparently you're in Tokyo a lot?" The last part was said with a smirk.

Hermione groaned, "Yes, I am. Mostly for the ambassadorship, but" Hermione blinked, fumbling over what to call Tetsurou. Everyone else here knew she used his given name, but it was too fast in the muggle world to do so, really… She blushed. What the heck, they would just have to deal with it, "Tetsurou and I do spend a lot of time together, thanks to it."

"T-tet-tetsurou?" Yachi squeaked. The other two had wide eyes.

Hermione blushed deeper but nodded. It was more neutral than her usual nickname, Tetsu, at least.

"Ano…" Yamaguchi scratched his cheek timidly, "Isn't that a bit fast? Not that it's my business…"

Hermione shrugged, "We both like each other a lot. It feels right."

"Well." Shimizu smirk was back, "Should we expect wedding bells soon, if you two keep going so fast?"

Hermione's brain froze. "No.. I mean…" she bit her lip. Shimizu's eyebrow rose while Hermione searched for words. It wasn't like she could deny that marriage might happen quickly… She fingered the edge of her left sleeve. "My parents always regretted going slow. They always told me that if I found someone to take the pace that felt right to us, regardless of what society said." They had technically said that, though she doubted they had meant _this_ fast… But Tetsurou was her soulmate. She would hardly find someone better than him.

Their expressions now melted into sympathy. "Gomen. I was just teasing. If I ever push too far, let me know, alright?"

Hermione shook her head, "It's fine! I promise." She smiled at the girl, then searched for a different topic. "How have Karasuno's practices been going?"

Kei suddenly appeared next to her, "Don't tell nee-san anything. As of yesterday, she's Nekoma's manager."

"What?" Yachi was looking at her in surprise, "That's awesome! Are you going to classes there, then, like you did in the summer?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, but the school pulled some strings so that they could have a foreign ambassador associated with their school."

"That's so neat! And now you and Kuroo-san get to spend even more time together!" Yachi was grinning from ear to ear, "You're sooo lucky!"

"I—"

"Dinner's ready!" Hermione's aunt appeared in the doorway. "Come get a plate and some food, everyone."

Bokuto bounded through the doorway after her aunt, dragging Akaashi behind him. The others followed at a more sedate pace, Tetsurou and Kenma bringing up the rear.

Hermione fell into step beside them.

"Thank you for coming, Kenma."

He nodded. "Happy Birthday." He played with a strand of his hair awkwardly. "Will you be coming to practice tomorrow?"

She smiled, "Of course. As long as Tetsurou and the team want me there."

Kenma nodded. "Arigatou. It will be nice to have a manager." He looked at the kitchen counter and scrunched up his nose. "It's chicken."

Hermione could barely see the food through all of the people crammed into the small kitchen.

"Hermione-chan, I thought you might be missing food from your home country, so I made some British stables tonight. We have roasted chicken and potatoes, along with some peas and carrots."

Hermione grinned at her aunt, "Arigatou!" She really had missed the food. As she was pushed to the front of the food line, Hermione quickly realized that her aunt had also bought plastic silverware, since eating roasted chicken and peas would be difficult with chopsticks.

Much to her amusement, it quickly became evident that most of Japanese friends weren't quite sure how to eat the chicken. Akaashi was even glaring at the meat as if it had offended him, while Bokuto seemed to have given up on propriety and was just eating it like a chicken leg. Oddly, Kenma seemed the best at it, but he excused his ability by mumbling that eating chicken in taverns was a common video game scene, so he'd seen it done a lot.

Since there was no one room in the house that would comfortably hold everyone without expansion charms, the group sat scattered around the kitchen, living room, and backyard, where Akiteru had hurried to set up chairs. Hermione floated between the groups, enjoying the stress-free time with her friends.

It wasn't too long, though, before her aunt was ordering everyone to crowd into the living room once more so that they could all be there as Hermione opened her presents.

The Tsukishimas had given her various English books about the history of Japan and Miyagi, while Kenma had given her a giftcard to a bakery that he quietly explained was supposed to have good chocolate éclair.

"Ours next!" Bokuto was practically bouncing in his seat. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but picked up the one with owl wrapping paper. He nodded excitedly.

I was… a cat toy? No, several cat toys. And a book on taming wild cats.

"Oi!" Tetsurou glared at the two wizards. Everyone else was snickering.

"What?" Akaashi smiled innocently at his friend. "You told us she had a cat."

"Tch." Tetsurou reached over to pick up the book. "It's not wild."

Bokuto burst out laughing at that point, unable to control it anymore. "But you totally are, bro."

"Jerks."

Kei snickered, "I think it's rather appropriate, senpai. After all, most people wouldn't see cat toys and assume someone was making a reference to them."

"Only because you guys have done it before!"

Hermione shook her head at their antics, amused, then turned to address Bokuto and Akaashi. "Thanks, but I think I've got my cat under control." She'd let them interpret that however they wanted.

Bokuto laughed harder, while Akaashi just smiled and nodded.

Tetsurou sniffed. "As if I wouldn't treat you well." He took the book and dropped it back in the package, refusing to look at any of them.

Hermione rolled her eyes and reached for the next present. Shimizu and Yachi had apparently had gone together and gotten her a gift card to a yogurt shop.

Shimizu spoke up, "Tsukishima said that you like yogurt, so we thought maybe the three of us could go together sometime and have a girls' day. You're around far too many boys at the moment and we thought you'd appreciate a break."

"That sounds lovely, thank you." Hermione smiled at the two of them. "I look forward to it."

Hermione reached for the next present, then frowned and looked at Tetsurou in confusion. There

was just one present left, but it was from Yamaguchi.

Tetsurou waved his hand nonchalantly, "I'll give you mine later."

She raised an eyebrow but nodded. He had gotten it from Kotodama, so perhaps he wasn't able to give it to her with so many nonmagical people around. That didn't stop everyone else from snickering about Tetsurou wanting a private moment, though. Hermione tuned them out and turned her attention to opening Yamaguchi's present. It was a notebook along with a pen that had a volleyball on the end of it.

"Tsukki said you were going to become the Nekoma manager, so I thought you might want to have something to take notes with."

"Arigatou, Yamaguchi-san. I'll definitely use them"

He fidgeted in his seat. "Just Yamaguchi is fine."

Hermione blinked in surprise as Shimizu and Yachi echoed the sentiment. "Well, just Granger is fine, then." She smiled at the three of them.

Shimizu nodded at her, then bent down to pick her purse up off of the floor. "I'd love to stay, but it's getting late, so we should head home." She rolled her eyes, "Not all of us are spending the night, after all. Ready Hitoka-chan?"

 _Staying the night?_

 _All the Tokyo trains have stopped for the night, love. It's just a cover story._

"Yes!" Yachi jumped up at her name. "Thank you for having us!" She did a quick bow toward the Tsukishima family.

Yamaguchi swallowed and stood up as well. "I'll walk with you and make sure that you get home safely."

Shimizu smiled softly, "Thank you, but that's not necessary, Yamaguchi."

"I-I insist." Yamaguchi gave a firm nod, glancing toward Yachi.

Shimizu smirked, "Well, alright then. If you insist."

Yachi smiled at Yamaguchi tentatively as the three of them said their goodbyes and headed toward the door.

After the door shut, Hermione spoke, "How long do you think it's going to take before Yamaguchi asks Yachi on a date?"

Kei snorted. "She's going to have to drop some pretty obvious hints and I'll have to give him a peptalk before that ever happens."

Hermione sighed. Should she talk to either of them about it…?

"Before you start playing matchmaker, love, you do have one more present."

"I'll get it!" Bokuto was bouncing up and down before running up the stairs.

Kei groaned, "I'm going to go make sure the idiot owl doesn't ruin my room."

It was upstairs? Hermione turned to Tetsurou to pester him, "I'm assuming you couldn't give it to me earlier because it's obviously magical?"

Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "Since I picked it up from Kotodama, we both know you'd already figured out that much. I gave it to Bo so he could keep it hidden from you. And so that I wouldn't have to deal with transporting it here."

There was a crash upstairs, followed by an indignant squawk from Bokuto.

Tetsurou's eyebrow twitched. "He better not have broken it."

"It's all good!" Bokuto appeared in the hallway, waving his hands around.

Kei emerged behind him, carrying a large, but thin rectangular box. "Only because I caught it. How can you trip over a large plant like that?"

"I couldn't see! The box was in the way."

"Right." Kei placed the box in Hermione's lap.

Hermione stared at it. It was so large. "What did you…?" Her voice trailed off as she glanced up at her soulmate.

He waved her on, "Open it and find out." He was radiating smugness over the bond. Whatever it was, Tetsurou was 100% sure she would like it.

Hermione shrugged and turned her attention back to the present. She slowly peeled off the wrapping paper, pausing when she felt the edges of a frame. A picture of some kind?

She gasped when the last piece of wrapping paper fell to the ground.

Hogwarts.

He'd gotten her a painting of Hogwarts. The lake, the forbidden forest, the pitch, the whomping willow, each tower…everything stood out in precise detail. As she watched, the castle doors opened and a few small figures came strolling out, chatting with one another and heading toward one of the trees where they sat and proceeded to have a picnic. Gryffindor scarves hung around their necks. She looked closer and saw that one boy had red hair, two brunette, and there was a girl with brown curly hair next to them. Tears started to form in Hermione's eyes as the castle doors opened once again and a young blonde girl with a Ravenclaw scarf and a quill in her hair skipped down to join the group.

"Tetsu…"

"I know you're happy, I can feel it, but it's still really unnerving to see you cry. Please don't cry?"

Hermione gave a watery laugh, then turned to look at him.

"Arigatou, Tetsu."

His answering smile was soft, "You're welcome, love. I'm glad you like it."

Hermione bit her lip. She wanted to kiss him to thank him, but there were people in the room, and Japanese society was really against kissing in public….

Tetsurou's smile turned into a mischievous smirk, no doubt as a result of her emotions. Before he could do anything, though, Kei cleared his throat.

"If you two are done having your moment?"

"Don't worry, Tsukki. You'll find a girl one day. Or guy, if that's your preference."

Kei's eyebrow twitched. "Please leave my preferences out of this discussion, Kuroo-senpai."

"So I can kiss Hermione, then?"

Hermione squeaked as Tetsurou pulled her closer to his side.

Bokuto burst out laughing while Kei pinched his nose in frustration.

Akiteru shook his head, "Soulmates or not, there are some things I'd rather not see, Kuroo-san."

Akaashi's calm voice agreed. "Proprieties should be observed, Kuroo. Especially with her family present."

Tetsurou's eyes darted over to the Tsukishimas, who were all watching the scene with amusement. He gave a sheepish shrug, "Hai, hai."

Aunt Sarah smiled, "No more of that. It's getting late and I'm sure your parents are expecting you boys."

Akaashi nodded. "Of course. I'll be glad to take Kenma home, Kuroo."

Bokuto bounded over and pulled the half-asleep setter off of the couch. "Come on, come on! Got to get you home!"

Kenma gave a tired groan, "Why can't I just sleep here?" He somehow managed to wiggle out of Bokuto's hold, collapsing against Tetsurou. "Kuro will take me in the morning."

Tetsurou sighed, "Kenma cat, we told your dad you'd be home tonight."

"I'll text him."

"You can't just invite yourself to stay over, Kenma."

"I'll be in the tent with you. I won't be in their way." Kenma somehow positioned himself underneath Kuroo's arm, using it as an anchor against Bokuto's attempts to pull him off the couch.

Hermione giggled, turning to her aunt. "Do you mind if Kenma stays? He can apparently be a bit unreasonable when he's tired like this."

Her aunt shrugged. "As long as his parents are fine with it."

Tetsurou sighed again and used his free hand to fish around the pockets of Kenma's hoodie. He pulled out his friend's phone, unlocked it, and sent a fumbled one-handed text. "I sent his dad a text. Honestly he probably expected Kenma would pull something like this." Tetsurou rubbed the back of his neck, "Gomen."

Bokuto let out a loud squawk. "He bit me!"

"He bit you?!" Hermione turned to look at Kenma, but he was only curled up behind Tetsurou, just as he had been the last time she looked.

"I want Kuro. I'm staying." Kenma mumbled, so soft Hermione could barely make it out.

Tetsurou let out a deep laugh, "You should know better by now, bro."

"He should?" Hermione looked at her soulmate, incredulous. Tetsurou didn't respond, too busy laughing.

"'Kaashi! How was I supposed to know Kenma would bite me?" Bokuto turned to his soulmate with wounded eyes.

"Because he's done it before, Bokuto. Remember?"

"What?" Bokuto gasped, surprised, and Tetsurou laughed louder.

Kenma whined, shoving Tetsurou slightly. "Too loud."

"Sorry, Kenma cat." He grinned down at his friend.

Akaashi sighed, "Let's just go home." He turned to the Tsukishimas, bowing slightly. "Thank you for having us this evening."

"It was no problem." Her aunt returned the bow.

Akaashi then turned to his soulmate, who was still staring at his hand in dismay. "Good night, Granger. Happy Birthday once again and I wish you luck with the troublemakers." With that he grabbed his soulmate's shoulder and began propelling him around the furniture and into the hallway.

Tetsurou sighed when they heard the front door close. "I should get Kenma to bed." He stood up, then leaned over to tug on his friend's arm gently, "Come on Kenma cat."

"Don't wanna move."

"I'm taking you to a bed. No more moving after that."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Kenma didn't respond, but did allow himself to be pulled to his feet. With that accomplished, Tetsurou turned back to Hermione, "I hope you had a good birthday."

"I did, thank you Tetsurou."

He grinned at her.

"Kuro." Kenma pulled on his sleeve, "bed." Tetsurou rolled his eyes.

"Night, love. See you in the morning." He began walking toward the door, pulling Kenma behind him.

Hermione smiled as they left, then turned to her aunt, "Thank you so much for this evening. I really appreciate everything."

"Of course Hermione-chan." Her aunt smiled at her, "You do have school tomorrow, though, so go ahead and head up to bed. You can clean this up tomorrow evening when you get home."

"Arigatou." Hermione turned her attention back to the painting in her lap. The figure of Luna was now dancing around the others, a slight shimmer around each wave of her hand. Neville was bright red, watching her, while she, Harry, and Ron were deep in some conversation. As she watched a few owls flew into the owlery and figures in green robes began circling the quidditch pitch.

She missed Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Unfortunately, Hermione couldn't really research this time bc there weren't any research options for her other than people that either didn't know or didn't want to talk about it.


	14. Baka Kuroo

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione sat in her bed, hunched over one of the books she'd gotten from the Tsukishimas, lumos lighting up the pages.

 _During the Edo period, Miyagi prefecture was ruled by-_

A wave of anxiety passed through her.

Hermione frowned at the book in her lap. She felt anxious. Scared. She couldn't focus. But why? Today had been a good day. Her time with Tetsurou had been wonderful, as had the party. Yes, there had been stressful things recently—namely the ambassadors, her NEWTs, and the looming wedding fiasco, but there was no need to be anxious about those right _now._

She just wanted to read one of the books the Tsukishimas had given her today.

Was the anxiety coming from Tetsurou? But he was asleep… His emotions usually felt muted…

Hermione frowned. Usually she fell asleep first, which meant that she entered her dream-cycle first, so they both ended up in her dreams… Was Tetsurou having a nightmare? She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in his dream, not the other way around. If it was a bad dream, though, she'd just have to talk to him about it in the morning.

 _During the Edo period—_

A scream.

Tetsurou's scream. It was reverberating throughout her head.

She apparated to his side.

The book fell to the floor of the tent and she barely registered her own nausea. The screams were so much louder here, echoing in her head and all around her. Tetsurou was writhing in his bed, covered in sweat, all his sheets had long ago been tossed to the floor in a crumpled mess.

"Tetsurou!" She rushed forward, pulling him into a hug. His body fought against hers, shoving her away. "Tetsu!" She pulled him close again. "Tetsu it's ok!"

Another shove. Why did he have to be so bloody strong?

Again. She wrapped her arms around him. He needed to wake up naturally. The shock of casting enervate at someone having a nightmare would only make them more determined that the nightmare was actually reality. "Tetsu, you're ok. It's over." She projected as much calmness through their bond as she could. His shoves were at least weakening. "I'm here. It's ok."

He twisted, shoving her back once more. She winced at her harsh landing on the floor. Hermione looked up, only to see his wand pointing straight at her head, quivering.

She froze.

His emotions were everywhere, eyes open but unfocused. She didn't dare move, but reached out over the bond, sending him more calmness.

"Tetsu."

"Kuso." He threw his wand to the corner of the room as if it burned, shaking his head. He groaned, slumping back into the bed. "Gomen, Mio."

"It's fine." She shakily stood up.

"I held you at wand point. That's not fine."

"You were hardly aware of what you were doing. I know the dangers of waking up a distressed wizard." She sighed, "I just didn't realize you kept your wand so close to the bed."

"I do now." He leaned his head back against the headboard of the bed, clearly exhausted. "It stays in the seam of my shorts, like at practice."

"Alright, I'll take that away in the future, then."

He groaned. "I don't want this to happen again, Mio."

She tentatively approached the bed, sitting down next to him. "Nightmares like this rarely go away after one appearance, Tetsurou."

He didn't respond.

She reached over to take his hand, holding it as he steadied his breathing. Hermione forced herself to be patient. He would tell her when he was ready.

The silence stretched on.

"I killed someone."

Hermione blinked, "We don't know—"

"We do." Tetsurou closed his eyes. "That…woman. She told me. Yelled at me while I was laying there, bleeding. So much blood." He paused, taking a deep, unsteady breath. "She said I was a useless blood traitor of a wizard and the only reason I won was because I caught him by surprise." He shuddered.

"I killed someone, Mio."

His voice sounded so quiet, broken almost.

Hermione turned to throw her arm around him, leaning against his chest in a half hug as they lay on the bed. "I've killed too, Tetsurou. You were defending yourself. It was kill or be killed; it doesn't make you a bad person."

He shook his head, annoyance lapping at the bond. "I _know_ that. I know it doesn't, but Mio….all I feel is happy. Relieved. How can I be happy that I killed someone?"

"Oh, Tetsu." So that was what was upsetting him. That he didn't feel remorse. She hugged him tighter, "Because those you love aren't dead."

His arm slowly wrapped around her, pulling her closer. "Right." His voice was tight.

"There's more, isn't there? It's not just about being happy you killed someone."

He made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat.

Hermione just waited. She could feel his internal turmoil as he debated what to say, or whether to say anything.

"Well, there's something else related to that, I guess."

She waited.

"It's just…people who are happy when they've killed someone, they usually do it more than once, right? And I don't want to hurt people, but I can't…. I can't just give up potions. I can't. But I used them to make something horrible, just like I used my wand to do something horrible, and… I don't want to hurt people."

"And as long as you have that desire, Tetsurou, I know you won't."

He scoffed.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the disbelief, terror, and self-deprecation she felt radiating out from him. She sat up and gave him a stern look. He didn't move.

"Tetsurou, look at me." He slowly turned his head. "I know you won't hurt anyone with your magic, not unless it's in self-defense. I can read your mind, I feel your emotions, I can see all of your memories and motivations. I've met plenty of killers who enjoyed it. You're not one of them."

His emotions were calming slightly, but he still refused to look her in the eyes. "But what if I become one?"

"You won't, but if it helps, I won't let you."

That startled a laugh out of him. His eyes searched hers. She didn't let any emotions appear but calm assurance.

Finally, he spoke: "I guess that's true."

There was a knock on the wood next to the opening of his room.

Tetsurou frowned. "There's a ward. Would you cancel it?"

Hermione eyed him carefully as she pulled out her wand. His emotions were now calmer and he at least _seemed_ better….

He gave her an annoyed look at her hesitation. "I'd do it myself but my wand is all the way across the room. I may suck at wards, but finite isn't hard."

She sighed, quickly cancelling the silencing spell. She had wondered why Kenma hadn't come in when Tetsurou had been screaming.

"Who is it?" Tetsurou's voice sounded almost normal, just slightly hoarse from screaming. Hermione summoned a cup and cast aguamenti, then handed it to him. He nodded his thanks.

"Just let us in, you overgrown cat."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. What was Kei doing in the tent?

Tetsurou sighed. "Just come in, it's not locked or anything."

The tent flap slowly opened, and Kei entered the room, followed by Kenma. "So you are here. I heard you apparate but couldn't figure out what had happened."

Oh. "Gomen, Kei-kun." Hermione frowned, "I didn't mean to worry you."

"The others didn't wake up, so they're still inside. Is everything ok?" He looked between the two of them in confusion, "I doubt you came out here for no reason."

Tetsurou released a soft laugh. "I'm just that irresistible, Tsukki."

"Stop it."

Tetsurou's eyes widened as he turned to look at his annoyed friend.

Kenma was glaring at him. "You made the room silent, didn't you."

Tetsurou was quiet. "I may have. I asked Bokuto to do it a while ago, though. It wasn't just for tonight."

Kei shifted nervously, "I think I'm going—"

"Why?" Kenma voice was sharp as he cut off Kei. His glare had softened at the knowledge that the ward wasn't made to keep specifically him out, but he still looked annoyed.

"Nightmares. You know we have them."

Kenma's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kuro."

"It's fine, Kenma. Nothing you can help with."

"Anyone can help with nightmares."

Tetsurou sighed. "It was just a nightmare, I promise."

"About what that woman did to you?"

Tetsurou shuddered but shook his head.

Kenma frowned. "Then what?"

Silence hang in the room.

Tetsurou sipped from the cup of water, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

Kei looked at the three of them uneasily. "I just came to make sure nee-san was here. Maybe I shou—"

"Why are you hiding something, Kuro?"

He shrugged.

"What won't you tell me?"

Hermione entered Tetsurou's thoughts, but all she could catch was a panicked stream of "he can't know."

"Why did you have a nightmare? Why is this one affecting you worse than the others?"

 _Tetsurou! Can't you see your silence is hurting him?_

 _Knowing that I killed someone will hurt him more. You saw how he reacted to the fact that I brewed the potion and used it._

 _He's already aware that it's a possibility, Tetsurou._

 _But he doesn't know for sure. He's in denial. He won't think about it at all._

"Stop it!" The both of them looked at Kenma, startled. "Stop talking to each other. I can tell. You get all…spacey." He glared at them.

Hermione bit her lip. _Please tell him Tetsurou. He's your friend. He won't leave you. At least tell him why you don't want to say anything._

Tetsurou closed his eyes next to her, breathing slowly. "You'll be scared of me."

"I won't."

"Kenma…" His voice sounded weary.

"I'm going to leave." Kei was still looking between them uneasily but appeared relieved to have finally gotten that sentence out without being interrupted. He fled the room without waiting for a response.

Kenma came closer and sat at the edge of the bed, still facing them. "I won't be scared of you, Kuro."

"You hate that I brewed that poison. That I used it."

Kenma flinched. "I do. But I understand why. I don't… I don't understand your world, but I do know that without you I'd have died in the forest. You…" Kenma paused, frowning, "people with magic face more danger than most people right?"

"Not necessarily." Kuro looked away. "It's more like… people can specialize in it or not."

Kenma nodded, his eyes evaluating Hermione. "You do."

"Unwillingly, yes." Hermione nodded.

Kenma turned back to Kuro, "You don't."

Tetsurou slowly nodded, "I do potions for other reasons, but they can be dangerous."

"That's why I don't like it."

Tetsurou blinked. "What?"

Kenma blew out a sigh of frustration. "You're so dense sometimes. I hated that you brewed the potion because I know you hate hurting people. You avoid your wand like the plague because of all those years ago, but you love potions. I was worried you'd start to see potions as dangerous and hate them."

"Oh."

Inwardly, Hermione marveled at how well Kenma knew his friend. She hadn't even realized that Tetsurou might have that reaction…. She should have, she'd known about the fire, but she hadn't. Kenma had thought of it the second he was told.

"Stupid Kuro." Kenma sighed, looking down at his hands. "So the nightmare was about the poison?"

"Kinda." Tetsurou rubbed the back of his neck.

Kenma stared at his friend while he fidgeted. Finally, Tetsurou looked up and met Kenma's eyes.

"I killed him, Kenma. I killed someone."

Kenma slowly nodded. "We already knew that, right?"

"Not for sure."

Kenma groaned. "Baka. Idiot. Stupidhead."

"Oi!" Tetsurou stared at his friend incredulously.

Kenma eyed Tetsurou critically. "You were in denial."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hermione shook her head, amused at both of them accusing the other of being in denial, "You were, Tetsurou."

"See? She's in your head. She would know."

"Stop ganging up on me!" He looked between the two of them, annoyed. "And she hasn't been in my head recently. She promised not to for the birthday surprise."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Tetsurou, did you make me promise that so you could avoid talking about this?"

Her anger grew as his pause lengthened. "Tetsurou…" She growled his name in annoyance.

He sighed, "Not entirely? I did want to surprise you."

"Tetsurou!"

"So your nightmare was about killing someone?"

Tetsurou fidgeted, rubbing the back of his neck in unease, "Yeah."

"And." Hermione glared at Tetsurou. _Tell him the whole thing. Surely you can tell by now that he won't hold it against you._

Tetsurou gave her a dirty look.

"And?" Kenma's golden eyes stared at his friend with unwavering focus.

"I don't feel bad about having killed him."

Kenma blinked. "Of course."

"Of course?" Hermione could feel Tetsurou's shock over the bond. "That's it? Of course?"

"Well…yeah." Kenma tilted his head to the side. "You shouldn't feel bad about that. Not when they were going to kill you, first."

Tetsurou stared in disbelief.

"Idiot." Kenma sighed and pulled out his game system from his pocket. "You good now?"

Tetsurou slowly nodded. "For now, I guess."

"Good. Stop being stupid." With that, Kenma pressed the on button for his game and walked out of the room.

Hermione could still feel the shock coming from Tetsurou, but she could also feel that he was starting to accept their words, at least.

There was a knock on the wood.

Hermione frowned, but Tetsurou just called out, "Come in!"

Kei walked in, rubbing his arm self-consciously. "Mom and Dad would kill me if I let nee-san stay out here with you overnight."

Tetsurou groaned. "We're practically married! Come on! And it's not like we're going to do anything after I'm exhausted from this stupid fucking nightmare and getting chewed out by Kenma."

"You're not married yet, though." Kei looked distinctly uncomfortable about the idea.

Hermione frowned, "Speaking of that, when do we need to get that paperwork filled out, Tetsurou?"

"Eh, we can do it whenever, really. I suppose by the end of the month would be good, though. It has been a while."

"Do I even want to know?"

"We have to file paperwork registering our bond with the Japanese Ministry of Magic."

Tetsurou smirked, "And then we'll be married in the magical world."

Kei's eyes widened dramatically.

"Tetsurou!" He'd just added that last part to mess with Kei.

He held his hands up defensively, "It's true."

"Yes, technically." She rolled her eyes and turned to her cousin. "It's just a government technicality because they're too lazy to do two sets of paperwork, Kei-kun. Akaashi and Bokuto have filed it already, and they hardly act married."

Kei grimaced. "I did not need that picture."

"What picture?" Kuroo grinned, "Did your mind go somewhere dirty, Tsukki?"

"No!" He spluttered out, looking between them in surprise and annoyance, "Just… them being all lovey dovey or something would be really weird."

"Uh-huh." Tetsurou snickered. "Sure."

Kei looked away from them, flustered. "Whatever. I just came in so that I could make sure Hermione-nee-san didn't stay here."

"And what makes you her chaperone?"

Hermione sighed, cutting off any response Kei might have made, "I assume you'll be ok, Tetsurou?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine."

Hermione eyed him uncertainly, but his emotions at least seemed stable, now. And her aunt and uncle really would be upset if she stayed out here… though if it was important she would stay, propriety be damned.

"You sure?"

"Go, Mio. We can always keep talking if need be."

She stood up slowly. "Alright." She summoned his wand with a flick of her wrist. Kei jumped as it came flying past him into her outstretched palm. She handed it to Tetsurou.

"Arigatou, love." He fingered his wand for a few seconds, then slipped it into the seam of his shorts.

Kei watched the movement. "That's where you keep yours?"

Tetsurou nodded. "Yeah. Bokuto and Akaashi keep theirs in the same spot, too."

Kei nodded, "Good to know." He bent to pick up Hermione's book that she'd dropped after apparating. "You were reading this?"

She nodded, "It's good so far."

"Of course. We picked it out for you." He smirked and handed it to her, "Maybe just go to sleep when you get back to the house, though."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Of course. It's 2 am."

"Tomorrow is going to suck." Tetsurou groaned behind her. "At least you can sleep at the school if you want."

"You'll survive."

Hermione let Kei pull her outside of Testurou's room in the tent. If he felt up to complaining about sleep, he would probably be fine.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

Emma3mikan: There will be more Yama/Yachi here and there ;)

BrownEyesAngel: Glad you liked the chapter and the gift! It took a while to figure out what would be a good one. And yeah, Kenma's adorable like that. Plus Hermione has a lot of experience with taking boys under her wing, lol


	15. The Ministry

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione stared at her phone. This… made no sense. What the heck? A zoo? Why would he want to go to a zoo?

She was sitting on the Nekoma roof today, enjoying the fall weather. Tetsurou was in class, but… She tentatively reached out over the bond. Tesurou felt half-asleep at the moment, so maybe a conversation would help jolt him awake for the rest of class. _Tetsurou?_

 _Yeah?_ He slurred the word in his exhaustion.

 _You doing ok?_

 _Just tired after the nightmare, Mio. What's up?_

Hermione frowned in thought, _Do you want me to take some pepper-up?_

 _Nah, save that for before practice. I'll be ok._

If he was sure… _Also…do you know why Akaashi would text me asking about a trip to the zoo?_

 _Oh yeah!_ Hermione blinked. That certainly had perked him up. _I promised him we'd go with them. And next weekend won't work because we'll need to get Tsukki something for his birthday…. So tomorrow._

She blinked. She assumed the 'them' meant Bokuto would be joining, as well. _You promised we'd go with them_ _to the zoo. Why?_

 _They got a new owl and Bo is really excited about it._

 _A new owl._

 _Yup. Great horned owl, I think._

 _So we're going to the zoo?_

 _Yes… Didn't you want to talk to Akaashi soon?_

 _Well, yes. I just didn't expect to be doing so at a zoo._ Memories of childhood zoo trips flashed across her mind. Watching the otters with her father…

 _Eh, why not? You two can just cast muffliato or whatever. It'll be more fun this way._

Hermione shook her head. Focus on the conversation. She pushed down the sadness and nostalgia, hoping that Tetsurou hadn't noticed. _Right._

There was a long pause as Hermione tried to adjust to this new plan. Why hadn't he mentioned it this morning when they'd been talking about their day's plan? _We're still going to the ministry this afternoon after practice, right?_

 _'_ _course!_

 _And you haven't made any other plans?_

 _Nope._

 _…_ _Alright then._ She took a deep breath. A zoo. She could do this without becoming a nervous wreck. She couldn't just spend her life avoiding anything that reminded her of her parents.

 _We good?_

 _Of course, of course._ Hermione hurried to reassure him. He had definitely picked up on some of her emotions. She tapped her finger on the textbook in front of her. _Just didn't expect it, is all._

 _I talked to him at the party last night while you were with Yamaguchi, Shimizu, and Yachi. Sorry I forgot to mention it, Just with Kenma staying, and then the nightmare….and then I was so tired this morning I forgot about it. Gomen._

 _It's fine. I'll work on the details with Akaashi._

Hermione fiddled with her phone, clicking the reply button and then typing out a response.

 _Wait, Akaashi just texted you right now?_

 _Yes…I told you that at the beginning of this conversation_

 _So he was texting during school?_

Hermione's eyes widened. _Apparently?_

 _Mr. Perfect is texting in class?_ She could hear Tetsurou's cackling laughter through their link. _Man it's so hard not to laugh out loud right now. The teacher is giving me weird looks. I should really pay attention the rest of class. See you soon, though, love._

 _Of course._

Hermione stared at the Japanese textbook in front of her. She was working through a section on particles, but it was just so different than English. She sighed but kept plugging through the different questions.

1\. When should the particle に be used?

And further down the page…

6\. Where would you see へin a sentence?

She turned page after page after page.

The bell rang.

Finally.

 _You survive without me, love?_

 _It was a challenge, but you know, somehow I managed. Meet you at the gym?_

 _Sounds good._

Hermione put her books into her bag and began to walk the now familiar path down from the roof toward the volleyball gym. She could feel Tetsurou heading in the same direction, their bond content at the quickly diminishing distance between them.

When she got close to the gym, Hermione slipped into a bathroom stall and made herself visible before downing a vial of pepper up. She winced at the taste, but unfortunately it would be necessary to help him get through practice, and harder for her to slip away to take a vial. Speaking of which... why was he waiting for her outside?

She quickly washed her hands, then pushed open the door. Sure enough, there he was, leaning against the wall. She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's creepy to try and pick up girls outside the restroom?"

"I heard there was going to be an incredibly pretty girl here and decided to take my chances."

She blushed, "Did you?"

"Yeah, I'd say they were accurate." He smirked at her, eyes scanning over her figure. Hermione cursed the fact that she was so weak to that smirk. It was too attractive to be fair. Anyone else she'd have hit for looking at her like that, but Tetsurou was her soulmate…and too handsome by far.

She glared at him as his smirk widened, no doubt at her obvious feeling of arousal. It was somewhat mollifying that she could feel answering emotions from him, though she didn't know what she was doing at the moment to cause that. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing harder.

Her grinned, but apparently decided to take pity on her and stop the teasing. "Want to walk over together? I wanted to make sure you're cool about the whole zoo thing. I know you don't like surprises and you felt a bit freaked out."

"It's fine, really. I just haven't been to a zoo since I was a kid, that's all. Memories."

"Ah." Tetsurou was suddenly watching her closely. No doubt he'd felt her mood drop.

"I'll be fine."

"If you're sure…" she sighed at the caution and concern radiating across the bond. "We can do something else. Bo can go see the owls another day. We just figured it would be nice to have something to do in between whatever you want to talk to him about."

"It's fine, Tetsurou."

He raised his hands defensively at her sharp tone. "Fine, fine. Far be it from me to be concerned."

Hermione rolled her eyes but fell into step beside him.

"Did your teacher ever stop being suspicious of you?"

"No." He scowled, "I'm a model student in class, you know! But now I keep reacting to things you say or something and making weird facial expressions." He groaned, throwing his hands up in the air, "A few of them have even taken me aside to ask me if everything's ok!"

Hermione tried not to giggle, but he still glared at her. "Gomen."

"You are so not sorry."

"Maybe."

"My reputation is ruined."

"Oh yes, your sterling reputation."

She grinned at him as they stopped in front of the gym.

He sniffed. "Go put up the nets or something."

She laughed, "That's the best you can come up with?"

"Well if you're going to ruin my reputation among the teachers, you should at least make yourself helpful in other ways."

"Of course." She rolled her eyes. "Go get changed for practice, Tetsurou. See you in a bit."

He grinned at her, "I don't mind, but you should probably hold back on the first name around the team, love."

She blushed. Right. "Of course."

Hermione went into the gym and was happy to see that the first years had actually already set up the nets.

Yaku saw her immediately, though. "Granger-san! Over here!"

Cautiously, Hermione approached the short third year. The boy pointed at Lev. "Make him do extra receives."

"Extra?" How in Merlin's name would that even work?

"Yes!" Yaku nodded firmly. "Make him do diving drills for a bit, too."

"Diving drills?" Hadn't that been the penalty at the camp before the one she went to? She didn't really know what—

And then Yaku was diving onto the ground, acting as if he was going after a volleyball. He hoped up. "Like that. When he's not doing receives, make him do those."

"No, Granger-san!"

Hermione hesitantly nodded, ignoring the first year. "Alright."

Yaku grinned, "Awesome. I think we're going to get along just great." He slapped Lev on the back, "Get to it!"

"H-hai!" Lev looked uncertainly at Hermione. She shrugged and pointed at the corner where the other first years were gathering around a bin of balls.

Lev groaned but trudged in that direction.

Hermione arranged the first years in pairs and they quickly started doing receives. There was an odd number at the moment, though, so she made Lev do the diving drills while he waited for the last first year to arrive.

She felt Tetsurou enter the gym and saw him arguing with Yaku about something, but…where was Kenma?

She scanned the gym for their friend, then quickly spotted him hiding in the nearby corner behind a bin of balls, playing his game.

 _Tetsurou._

 _Huh?_

 _Kenma's in the corner. Should something be done about that?_

Annoyance flared across the bond and he dropped his argument with Yaku to stomp over towards his friend.

"Kenma."

"One more minute."

"It's time for practice."

"Coach isn't here yet."

"Kenma…."

"Practice doesn't start for one more minute. Or until Coach gets here."

The screen flashed with a death message. Kenma's fingers froze, then golden eyes looked up at Tetsurou in annoyance.

"I will haunt you, Kuro."

"You're still alive. You'd have to be dead to haunt me."

"I have died a thousand deaths because of you."

"Those were all virtual, so they don't count." He grabbed his friend's arm, pulling him upright. "Minute's over. Time to practice."

"But Coach isn't—" The doors opened and Coach Nekomata walked in. Kenma's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Fine."

Hermione started giggling.

Kenma gave her a betrayed look.

The rest of the practice went smoothly, or at least it did from Hermione's perspective. Lev didn't seem to like her very much anymore, though.

Hermione quickly went to the girls' changing room, showered and changed into a soft blue sweater and jeans, then went back outside to meet Tetsurou.

 _Gomen, love. Be right there, the guys were hogging the showers._

She shook her head, one would think the captain would have priority, but she supposed it was more equal this way. _It's fine, I'd much rather you be clean._

A few minutes later, Tetsurou emerged in a button-up red plaid shirt left open, with a black t-shirt, ripped jeans, and his dragon fang necklace.

"You own other clothes?" Yaku was staring at his teammate in disbelief.

"What the heck?! You've known me since junior high!" Tetsurou was waving his arms around in agitation, "Why does everyone assume this? Of course I own other clothes!"

Yaku shrugged, "You only ever wear gym clothes or uniforms, idiot." He grinned, "Trying to impress your girlfriend?"

Tetsurou crossed his arms and glared at the libero, "I don't need to impress her."

"Suuure."

Before Tetsurou could answer that taunt, Hermione tugged at his arm, "Come on. We wanted to get there before it closed, right?"

"Where are you going? A date?" Yaku was smirking at them, now.

"None of your business."

"So it is a date. Didn't you go on a date yesterday?"

"It's not a date! Well, not exactly…?" Tetsurou rubbed at the back of his head.

Hermione sighed, and grabbed his hand, "Come on." She pulled him behind her (thankfully he wasn't resisting), calling over her shoulder, "Goodbye, Yaku-san."

"Why're you in such a hurry?" Tetsurou lengthened his stride to catch up with her, managing to do so with ease.

"We only have half an hour before it closes!"

Tetsurou rolled his eyes while pulling her into an alley, "And we can get there instantaneously, right? No problem."

"There might be a line."

"Trust me, there won't be."

"How would you know? It's not like you've done this before."

"There's not enough magical people in Japan for there to be a line, love."

He slipped his arm out of her hold, then pulled her close.

Hermione blushed, resting her head on his chest hesitantly. "Ready?"

She nodded, then closed her eyes tightly as the nausea of apparition washed over her. The extra contact did help and was worth every disapproving look they received in the Transportation center.

The two of them separated and Hermione blushed awkwardly at the stares. "Do you know where we need to go?"

"Yeah, Akaashi told me. This way."

He led her toward the same gateway she had taken to reach the governmental buildings, but all he said when they stood underneath was, "Paperwork!"

Hermione blinked at the familiar whoosh of the travel, then steadied herself against the nearby wall once they landed.

She blinked. The wall was a … file cabinet? All the walls were file cabinets. At the end of the hallway hung a gigantic tapestry, with a man sitting at a desk in front of it. He looked to be older than Dumbledoor, hunched over his desk and slowly leafing through papers.

Tetsurou reached for her hand and the two of them walked toward the desk.

They stood there.

The man didn't look up, but slowly set down his pen.

"State your business." The man cleared his throat a few times. Small eyes peered at them from behind thin spectacles.

Tetsurou rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, "We need to register our soulbond."

"Date of bond?"

"July 27."

He reached for his pen once more, then brought it over to tap on a form at the bottom right of the desk. "This year?"

"Yes." Another tap. Writing began to scrawl across the page.

The man sniffed. "Months late, but not unacceptable, I suppose." He set the pen down for a different color. Wyvern tipped, maybe? "Names?"

"Kuroo Tetsurou."

"Granger Hermione." The man blinked, then adjusted his wire frames to stare at Hermione. "So you are. I'd heard the rumors, of course, but hadn't believed them…." His eyes shifted to Tetsurou. "And not even bonded to one of the families."

"Oi!" Tetsurou glared at the man, but stopped when Hermione put a hand on his arm. He looked away, annoyed. "My family is plenty respectable."

"Yes, yes. The Kuroo family is respectable, just small and young." The man tapped the form with his finger. "Place your wand tips here to sign."

Hermione flicked her wrist to release her wand from her holster while Tetsurou slowly pulled his from his jean pocket.

She blinked when her signature appeared on the paper next to her wand, and the paper shimmered with their joint magical signatures.

"Your soulbond has been registered. Congratulations on your magical marriage." The man nodded, "You may go now." The paper floated up from the desk, then snapped into a scroll and sped off down the hallway, disappearing into a cabinet somewhere.

"That's it?" Hermione stared at the man in disbelief.

"Of course. We will notify the goblins of your change in status and they will join your vaults. Unless you do not wish to join your vaults?"

Hermione shrugged and looked at Tetsurou. They hadn't even talked about it.

He shrugged, "That's fine with me."

"Alright…" Hermione shrugged, "joint vaults, I suppose." She felt like decisions like that should generally be made with more forethought, but she honestly didn't care that much, it wasn't like Tetsurou had shown he couldn't be trusted with money…

"Then we will notify the goblins and they will do so. Good day."

"Right." Hermione looked around the hallway. There seemed to be a door way down on the other end, past copious filing cabinets. "And we leave through there?"

"Yes." The man picked up his pen once more. "Good. Day."

Hermione sighed and began walking down the hall. Tetsurou's hand quickly found hers, his calloused thumb rubbing against the side of her palm. "So we're married now."

"Magically, yes."

"That's… different, right?"

Hermione paused in her step to look sideways at him. His emotions were…befuddled. "You were the one insisting this wouldn't change anything, Tetsurou."

He sighed, tilting his head back as they walked. "Maybe? I dunno. If you want it to."

Hermione cocked her head to the side, watching him and trying to decode his feelings. All she really felt was confusion and uncertainty. Sighing, she entered his head.

 _Slow is good, right? It's healthy. But we're married. But we've only known each other a few months, really. Slow is good. But we're married._

Hermione pulled out. He hadn't seemed to have noticed her intrusion, though? Either he was very distracted, he didn't care, or she was getting better. "You think we're taking this too slow."

"No!" He shook his head, "I dunno. The magical world just takes it so fast? Japan's is better, but still… these things take time."

"True, but…maybe… you could kiss me and things without asking me anymore? I mean, not in public or anything, but…" Hermione blushed and looked off to the side, "We _are_ married."

"Oya?" He stopped in front of the door, arousal pushing through his uncertainty. "So I can kiss you whenever I want, as long as we're in private?"

"I mean, read the mood, I suppose, but yes."

He smirked. "Same goes for you, then, love."

Hermione blushed. Tetsurou leaned forward to kiss her, but stopped at the loud clearing of a throat.

"This is one hallway. One. I can see you very well. You young'uns always do this. Just walk through the door and kiss in the field so that I don't have to deal with you." The man waved his hand, clearly dismissing them.

Tetsurou laughed while Hermione blushed bright red. "Well. You heard the man." His smirk was back as he placed a hand against the door to push it open. "Shall we?"

"I suppose."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: Kenma is awesome J A+ best friend. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and Tsukki's awkwardness!


	16. The Zoo

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione felt…tense. Ever since they had filed the paperwork yesterday she and Tetsurou just hadn't been able to fall back into a rhythm, and it was beginning to drive her insane. Was their relationship too fast? Too slow?

"Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to married life, my friends!"

And this zoo trip wasn't helping. She did not want to face childhood memories at the moment. Nevertheless, she offered Bokuto and Akaashi a tired smile. The crowd at the front of the zoo glanced with confusion at the four teenagers casually discussing marriage but seemed to dismiss it as a joke of some sort.

She wanted to go home. "You told Bokuto." There wasn't any reason _not_ to tell Bokuto, per-se, it was just… she sighed. She couldn't figure it out. That feeling again. Like she was missing something. She just kept remembering that swirl of emotions in Tetsurou's head, that they were going too fast, or too slow, or letting something else control them entirely…

"I did _not_ tell Bo." He raised his hands defensively, "Not that I see anything wrong with that? And I told Akaashi when I asked for directions."

Akaashi smiled at them. Somehow it conveyed the exact same tone as Tetsurou's smirks. "Was I not supposed to tell Bokuto? Gomen. We share thoughts, so it can be hard to keep things from him."

Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "Bullshit, Akaashi."

Akaashi raised an eyebrow. "You two are in a mood. Married life not agreeing with you?"

Hermione fidgeted with her sleeve, "We'd just prefer not to talk about… that… in public." The four of them were obviously too young to be a normal age for marriage among muggles.

Tetsurou grinned, "More importantly, what were you doing texting my girl during school yesterday? That's just downright shameful behavior."

Akaashi blinked. "Are you insecure in your ability to keep your girlfriend, Kuroo-san?"

"Oi!" Tetsurou glared at his friend, "That's not what I meant, and you know it! Mio loves me just fine!"

Hermione could feel a headache coming on.

"You texted her during school, Akaashi?" Bokuto was whining now, which caused Tetsurou to smirk in victory. "Why don't you ever text me during school?"

"Ah." Akaashi shrugged, "It was study hall and I was already done with the day's homework. You never have your homework done, Bokuto."

"You're so smart, Akaashi!"

"Hardly, Bokuto. I merely do the work on time." He shrugged gracefully. "Shall we, then?"

"Owls!" Bokuto was now bouncing up and down, "Let's go see the owls!"

Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "Yeah, bro, we know. We'll go see the owls."

Bokuto released a strangled hooting noise and ran off.

Hermione blinked. "Should we follow him? Does he even know where to go?"

Akaashi sighed. "Unfortunately, Bokuto can get to the owl exhibit from anywhere within the zoo without getting lost. He'll be fine." He pulled the map from his pocket. "I, however, have no such ability."

Hermione shook her head, "Well, should we be off, then?"

"Ikimashyou." Akaashi waved nonchalantly ahead of him, watching the two of them warily. "We can do this another day."

Hermione shook her head firmly. Whatever this…funk, was, she needed answers from Akaashi. Tetsurou sighed next to her. "Just going through some things, man. I'm going to walk ahead and find Bo."

Hermione bit her lip. She wanted to reach out, grab his arm, ask him to stay… but people in Japan didn't show much physical affection like that.

She watched him go.

What was wrong with her? What should they be doing? It was insane to even think of marriage at this age, soulmates or not, yet they were doing so.

She rubbed her arm self-consciously, watching as he turned a corner in the path up ahead. They had been through a lot, already, but even if they were soulmates, developing relationships took time.

Her parents would never have understood, she was fooling herself if she thought that they would. They'd never understood the magical world.

Hermione blinked at the zebras in front of her. Apparently she'd come to a stop at some point.

Akaashi was standing awkwardly off to the side, seemingly absorbed in the map.

"Gomen. I'm just a bit… distracted."

Akaashi looked from the map, watching her carefully. He sighed and handed her a cup, "For privacy."

Hermione blinked at the runes engraved along the edge of the cup. A privacy ward of sorts?

"Forgive me if I am being too forward, Granger-san, but—"

"Granger, Akaashi." Hermione interrupted without thinking, "I've already given you permission to drop the honorific."

He paused, cool eyes evaluating her.

Hermione focused on the zebras.

"Your marriage is what you say it is, not what anyone else says."

Her head jerked up to stare at him. "What?" Her voice squeaked. He wanted to talk about the marriage thing? She cleared her throat and tried again, this time more normally, "What?"

 _Everything ok?_

Hermione swallowed. Tetsurou must have sensed her surprise, and he was concerned. _Fine, Gomen. Akaashi just surprised me with something he said._ She felt so out of sorts.

 _Ah. Alright._ Tetsurou's voice was unsteady. Hermione frowned at his uncertainty. She knew she'd been behaving oddly, but she wouldn't hide anything from him.

 _I really am fine, Tetsurou. Akaashi just made an observation about our marriage situation, that's all._

 _Oh._ There was silence for a second, then, _He'll probably have good advice. They've been through this before. I don't… I know we're both uncertain right now, but Akaashi was just sixteen when Bo did the spell and they bonded._

Hermione gasped. She hadn't realized. "You were sixteen?"

"Done talking to Kuroo-san?" Akaashi had that slight smile again.

Hermine blushed. She hated that her conversations with Tetsurou were that obvious. _I'll talk with him about it._

The smile left Akaashi's face, though, when he responded to her question, "Hai. Bokuto did the spell and my core was developed enough that it registered our connection."

"That must have been hard." Married at sixteen. She couldn't imagine.

"It was a relief, really." Akaashi gave a slight smile, "I'd had a crush on him for so long, but never been able to do anything about it, despite his being my best friend…" He sighed, "And there was no pressure to change anything in front of others, which was nice at the time. Now, though…" he sighed. "I don't mind discussing my relationship with Bokuto, if that helps you, but I wanted to say that you and Kuroo seem… understandably focused, perhaps, on how others perceive you. On what society says. On not offending others. In Japan and in your situation, this is understandable…" His voice trailed off and fiddled with his left thumbnail. "Perhaps I cannot speak on this topic, after all." He shrugged stiffly, "My family will never allow Bokuto and I to show physical affection to one another in public because non-magical society would view it unfavorably."

"That's horrible." Hermione stared at her friend in revulsion.

Akaashi shrugged. "We are able to marry. We have family that recognize us. We have it better than most. It is… hard on Bokuto, but… the world sees us as best friends. We can be affectionate through that lens."

"That's not the same, though." She was best friends with Harry and Ron, but their relationship wasn't what she had with Tetsurou.

"True. You and Kuroo-san will have to find what your relationship needs to mean for you to both be happy."

Hermione frowned, waving an arm in frustration, "That's exactly the problem, though! How do we find that balance when our cultures are clamoring for us to act in specific ways?"

"Start small, I would think." Sharp eyes faced her once more, "You were watching him as he left. Did you want to hold his hand, Granger? Despite what Japanese society expects?"

Hermione blushed and looked away. She'd done it before, but always on crowded streets, when there were other girls or they might be seperated…when she had an excuse. It was odd to just break a social faux pas simply because she wanted to. But it was just holding his hand! She let out an exasperated huff. The whole situation was ridiculous.

Akaashi scoffed, "I doubt Kuroo would mind, you know. He doesn't mind Kenma clinging to him, after all."

Hermione frowned. That…was true. The younger boy didn't seem to follow by traditional Japanese rules of propriety at all, and Tetsurou never seemed to mind…and he'd seemed happy yesterday when she'd mentioned kissing him more often.

"Just think about what would make you happy, Granger. The rest will come." He pushed himself off from the railing. "Let's go collect our idiots, now. Who knows what they've done."

Hermione groaned, "We were supposed to talk about politics, Akaashi! Not relationship issues!" She hurried to catch up with him.

"Were we?"

"Yes!" She grabbed his elbow, pulling him to a halt before releasing his sleeve once more. "Those two are magical adults. They can manage on their own for a few more minutes."

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, "But can the zoo?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Very well." Hermione was amused to see a near pout cross his features. Apparently Akaashi really didn't like discussing politics. "We can at least walk while we talk, though. Before that, though…" Hermione wanted to groan, but he held up his hand and continued speaking, "I need to know. Does knowing my position in magical society change what you said during camp?"

"What I said during camp?" For the life of her, Hermione couldn't remember what Akaashi was talking about… so much had happened, but this was obviously important to him. His shoulders were ridiculously tense.

"About not blaming Japan for not helping."

"Oh!" Hermione blinked, startled. "Of course it doesn't change anything, Akaashi." She quickly waved her hands in dismissal.

Akaashi gave a disgruntled noise and looked off to the side, "You never know."

"Well it doesn't." She gave him a stern glare, trying to cement that message into his head. "In fact, I believe it even more firmly, now. I've seen more of your government, so I realize just how hard it would be hard to mobilize it to support another country. There's nothing to worry about." Hermione sighed and let her voice trail off, "I do wish you could have trusted me with that information, though."

Akaashi stopped dead in his tracks. "Trust?"

Hermione turned to look back at him, "Of course."

"You think it was about trust?" He looked away, awkwardly, "You had that the second you become Kuroo-san's soulmate, Granger-s—" He sighed, "Granger."

"Then why not tell me? Why not mention the fact that your first name is significant?"

Akaashi folded up the map and slipped it into his pocket. He thumbed the edge as they walked in silence for a second, then stated, "I enjoyed the anonymity. Didn't Kuroo tell you that?"

Hermione sighed, "He did. And I understand that, I do. It's hard not to while being best friends with Harry Potter, and I know Tetsurou recognized my name when he heard it—"

"Then my name is not the issue?" They could see Bokuto in the distance, now, waving his arms enthusiastically as he ran around in front of an enclosure. Tetsurou was leaning against the rail, laughing.

"Not particularly, no."

"Then what is?"

"I find myself in an alliance and I don't know what your family's stances are."

At the owl exhibit, Tetsurou moved suddenly, jumping on Bokuto's back and sending them both sprawling to the ground.

Akaashi blinked slowly, ignoring the chaos they were approaching. "Naruhodo. Very well." He nodded firmly to himself. "That can be changed. The Akaashi family does not tolerate prejudice against either those without magic or those without Japanese blood. The latter is a more common prejudice in Japan, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Hermione nodded. "The…Miya family? They seem to oppose you on that front."

"They do." He cocked his head to the side, "You may meet two of them our age eventually. They are annoying."

Hermione laughed, "Someone that you think is annoying Akaashi? After dealing with those two for years?" She waved her hand to where Tetsurou and Bokuto were now happily hooting at the owls.

Akaashi's lips twitched, "It's a different kind of annoyance."

"I'm sure."

The two of them walked companionably over to a bench, watching their soulmates. Apparently there was a bird viewing station nearby and Bokuto was now hopping around, searching for coins in his pockets while Tetsurou had already stolen the binoculars and was looking through them.

"What else does your family stand for?"

Akaashi shrugged, "We're mostly conservative. Here that means we don't mix magic and non-magic, but for us I guess that means something different than you British…" He let out an aggravated sigh, "Basically it means to avoid doing anything to draw attention to magic, right? With as close-knit as cities are, it's impossible to avoid drawing _any_ attention…"

Hermione cocked her head to the side, "So situations like Kenma's aren't that unusual, then?"

"They're not…common, but not unheard of. Especially with repetitive accidental magic incidents."

Right. Akaashi didn't know. Hermione wondered if Tetsurou would ever tell them about the fire. They could obviously be trusted…. She would have to talk to him about it. "What does your family expect from me, then?"

"Ojii-san anticipates that the magical community is going to have to become internationally stronger at a very rapid pace in order to hold our own beliefs and not be subsumed into the political ideas of other countries. He thinks with your help we could do that."

Hermione blinked. "That's… a lot of pressure."

"Your country respects you."

"The current regime, yes."

"The only one that matters for the forseeable future. Your opposition is rapidly dwindling."

"Right." Hermione rubbed her left arm self-consciously. Akaashi caught the movement and she stilled, looking off to the side.

"Gomen. I did not intend to bring up….unpleasant subjects."

"I brought them up, not you."

"Still."

"It's fine, Akaashi. Thank you for telling me. I'm still not sure how I can help, though."

"Be visible as supporting Japan. You already seem to like some of our policies. Like with creature visibility in Kotodama."

"Yes…" Hermione frowned, "Things are rarely that simple, though."

Akaashi stared at her.

"Not simple."

Hermione fidgeted.

"No?"

"You're a war heroine. Do you seriously have no idea of the power that status holds?"

Hermione blinked. "But I don't want to use public opinion. I want to create policies that will last."

"That is naïve. Forgive me Granger, but you are a public figure whether you want it or not. Your populace is likely annoyed that their princess has been claimed by a foreigner, yet you are trying to manipulate public opinion so that they will not only approve of your relationship with Kuroo-san, but also Japan as a whole. You are central to Japan's international image at the moment, and we want you on our side."

Hermione blushed, "But I'm just doing that because I want to have a good relationship with both my soulmate and my country!"

"It has side effects. Side effects my uncle is very invested in."

Hermione glared at him, "It's not like I disapprove of your policies. I'll help. But Japan's international image is not my priority."

Akaashi nodded, seemingly satisfied. "All we want is for you to talk about Japanese policies in a positive light, so that's fine."

Hermione bit her lip. "Right."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

The two of them looked up to see Bokuto sporting an owl mask that he'd somehow acquired, Tetsurou bobbing along behind him, hands in pockets. "Akaashi, you done annoying Mio, yet?"

"Akaashi! Come see the owls! You haven't even looked at them yet!"

Hermione smiled, but even she could tell it didn't reach her eyes. Tetsurou was watching her with concern, though, so she gave him a firmer nod. "We can't have that, can we?" She held out her hand, "Take us to the owls."

His palm fit smoothly into her own as he hoisted her up. "Gladly, love." His tone shifted from concern to mischievous as he added, "And we thought of the perfect birthday present for Tsukki. Might be a bit pricey, but if we all chip in it should be fine."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Oh?" Just because Tetsurou knew her cousin well didn't mean she trusted him to get Kei something he would actually _like._ Especially if Bokuto was involved.

"Trust me, Mio." Tetsurou gave her a confident smirk, "He'll love it."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

NYFanFic: Technically, yes! ;) glad you're enjoying it!

BrownEyesAngel: lol, I have fun writing the random government workers J glad you enjoyed his character


	17. Kei's Birthday

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

"Yo! Cuz!"

"Hell. No."

Hermione giggled at Kei's disgruntled expression as she walked into the Tsukishima household with Tetsurou.

Tetsurou grinned, "It's accurate, though."

"No. No it is not."

Hermione smiled sheepishly. Because of team practices and the multiple trips to Kotodama Kei's present had required, she hadn't actually seen her cousin in a few days. Today was her attempt to remedy that, but first she probably should tell him… "It is accurate, actually."

Kei gave her a blank stare, cogs whirling behind his brain. "You filed that stupid form."

"Not stupid, Tsukki," Tetsurou shook his finger, "Highly necessary for our community."

He scoffed. "Fine. But the name 'cousin' is not accurate to describe us in any form recognizable by the majority of the Japanese population."

Tetsurou grinned, "That's a lot of qualifiers, cuz."

Kei's eyebrow twitched.

"Or otouto? Since you call Mio nee-san."

"We are _not_ brothers. One of those is bad enough."

"I heard that, Kei!" Akiteru came ambling into the room, scooping eggs into his mouth with chopsticks. He sat down at the table and grinned at them, "Welcome to the family, I take it? Kei mentioned some form a while ago, but not the details."

Tetsurou shrugged, "It's a government formality, really. I mean, we're just eighteen and nineteen, right?" He smirked, "But technically, yes, we're family now."

Hermione bit her lip. Should she have mentioned this to the Tsukishimas before now? Akiteru didn't seem to mind, but…

Tetsurou's hand found hers. _You ok?_

 _Hai._ Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while Akiteru repeated his welcome. At least Akiteru hadn't seemed to mind the faux pas.

"So, cuz." Tetsurou flashed Tsukki a grin when the younger brother groaned, "I had some studying to do today, but I figured I would make a special delivery before I disappeared into the tent."

Kei frowned. "You can just give it to me at dinner tonight, idiot. That's when everyone else is doing it."

"Your _family_ birthday dinner?" Tetsurou smirked at him.

"Yamaguchi will be there, too."

Akiteru snickered, "Yamaguchi has been coming since you were around ten, Kei. He's practically family at this point."

"He's my best friend." Tsukki glared at all of them, then sighed. "Whatever. If you want to give it to me now, that's fine."

Hermione grinned and reached into her bag while Tetsurou stepped closer so that he could hold the brim open.

There.

Her fingers closed around the corner of the handle. She pulled upwards, extracting a box that grew to about the size of a small suitcase.

Kei eyed it warily.

Tetsurou took it from her, then carried it over to the table and set it down in front of Kei. He smirked, leaning down on top of the lid. "Happy early Birthday. It's from Mio and me, but also Bo and Akaashi."

"From all four of you weirdoes, then." Kei was eyeing the package with even more distrust. "Including Bokuto-san."

"Yes, but also approved by Akaashi and me." Hermione grinned at her cousin, "We wouldn't have let them get something bad, promise."

Kei warily pulled the present closer to him. "I'm only opening this because Hermione-neesan vouches for it."

Tetsurou grinned and held up his hands in a shrug. "I keep telling you I'm a nice person, Tsukki."

He gingerly unwound the paper. When he finished, though, Kei stared at the object blankly.

A clear glass terrarium wrested on the wrapping paper, about the size of a small dog crate, and inside a small figure crawled around. It swung its long neck toward Kei.

Golden eyes looked up at the amused witch and wizard. "What is this, exactly?"

"A dinosaur."

Akiteru started snickering.

"Yes. I can tell that, but…" Kei stared at the figure in shock. "Is it….alive?"

"Yes. Same as any reptile."

"But it was in nee-san's purse."

"Magic." Tetsurou smirked at his kouhai, then shrugged. "Seriously, magic stabilizes the space and allows living things to be miniaturized for set time periods. The dinosaur was fine."

"Right." Kei gingerly reached inside to pet it, "Will it grow bigger?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. Before you ask, it can't breed or anything else, either. And it just eats…. Eto…"

"Conifer and fern leaves."

They looked at Kei, startled. He raised an eyebrow in amusement and repeated himself more slowly, "It should eat conifer and fern leaves. Or do you wizards not know such simple things?"

Akiteru rolled his eyes, "That's not a simple fact, Kei."

"Well apparently the wizard that made it got that right. Because yes, that's what it eats." Hermione s grinned at her cousin. "Do you like it?"

He nodded, eyes not leaving the small animal. "Hai." He cocked his head to the side, studying the animal as it ambled around its enclosure. "I'll call it Brachium."

"Really?" Tetsurou snickered, then held up his hands defensively, "Never mind, never mind! Name the dinosaur whatever you want."

"I hardly need your permission."

Tetsurou rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Well, Happy Birthday, gaki. I'm heading to the tent to study potions. Some of us have to work and such." He waved a hand over his shoulder, heading toward the door.

"Arigatou, Kuroo-senpai." Kei's voice was soft and unguarded, which made Tetsurou pause and look over his shoulder. He shook his head when he saw that the first year was still focused on the dinosaur.

"Good luck spending any time with him today, Mio." With that, Tetsurou left the room.

Hermione turned to her cousins, amused. She had cleared the day to spend with Kei for his birthday, but she didn't exactly mind staying here all day if that's what he really wanted to do.

"Does Brachium need a specific living temperature?"

Hermione blinked. "Eto…" She had no clue. She didn't remember the shop owner mentioning anything, but the booklet might have something about temperature? It would make sense, at least. "Let me go get the booklet the shop keeper left us."

Kei nodded, "Can you get my books from upstairs, too?"

Hermione blinked. "Books? Which ones?"

"The ones on brachiosaurus, of course." Hermione sighed. She still had no clue which books those might be, but an index spell would probably solve that problem.

"Hai, hai. I'll get them." She took a few steps toward the stairs, calling over her shoulder, "Make sure that you think about what you actually want to do today, while I'm gone, alright?"

There was no response.

Hermione sighed again.

If she wanted out of the house, maybe she could call Yachi and Shimizu for yogurt or something. The girls had wanted to get together to do that soon, anyway. Or maybe she could call Harry and Ron on the mirror? Not that the boys were back at Hogwarts they could really only talk on weekends, and she missed them.

With a flick of her wand, a few of Kei's books floated off of the shelves, following her down the hallway as she stopped in her room to pick up the booklet.

No information on temperature. Hermione sighed. Something told her Kei wasn't going to be satisfied with that, especially if he was already asking for books.

Sure enough, once she got downstairs the pamphlet received the cursory judgment of "a piece of crap" before Kei pulled his books closer.

Akiteru laughed at his brother, "Now you've done it, Hermione-chan. We aren't going to see him emerge for the rest of the day. And on top of that none of us will be able to beat your present!" He grinned at her good naturedly as he stood up and stretched. "I'll see you for dinner, alright?"

Hermione nodded, and Akiteru had left the room.

Now it was just her, Kei, and Brachium. She sighed. She was glad that Kei liked his present, but _actually_ spending time with him would be nice. Is this how Harry and Ron felt all the time?

"Does it need a bath or anything?"

Hermione blinked. "I assume it will get dirty just like any other creature."

"What's it's lifespan?"

"Ummm…" Hermione looked at the pamphlet again, "About a year if left undisturbed, but we can renew the spellwork."

Kei frowned, "Is it alive or not, if it's the result of a spell?"

Hermione sighed. Now _that_ was some complex magical theory. "It's alive. The spellwork is like…a doctor's visit or something? Without it, things will start to go wrong."

Kei nodded, watching the dinosaur as it stretched up toward some leaves. "Magic is amazing."

At that, Hermione smiled. "Yes. Yes it is." She was glad that she could show him some of the positives after everything else. It was the least she could do.

Kei frowned at the dinosaur, then sighed and looked up at her. "Now that nii-san is gone…" he was watching Hermione closely, evaluating her. "Kuroo-senpai is family now."

Hermione blinked, startled at the change. "Yes. You knew he would be, though."

"I did, but…" he sighed, fiddling with the feathers on his necklace. "This is different. He's actually family now."

"He is."

Golden eyes turned back to her. "Are you ok with that? It may just be a piece of paper, but you are trying to avoid marriage right now."

Hermione sighed and sat down at the table. It was nice to have a solid support network, but having this discussion over and over again was tiring. "I'll be ok. I don't regret doing it."

"That doesn't mean you're ok now."

"True."

"Neesan…" Kei paused, then went over to the bookshelf, returning with a book that he set on the table.

Hermione's eyes widened.

A history book.

A history book about the last wizarding war.

Written by Cho Chang. She hadn't known the Ravenclaw had written a book, how fast had she even written it? She had to have been working on it even during the war to have it published this soon.

"I asked Bill Weasley-san for a book to help me understand everything. He said this came out recently and that you know the girl." She should have known that Kei would want to read a book about it. She wished he'd just asked her, but she could understand his desire to avoid discussing the topic in depth.

Hermione nodded slowly. "She was part of Dumbledore's Army and dated Harry briefly."

His eyes widened. "She didn't state that last bit. Would she misrepresent anything?"

Hermione shrugged. "I would think she would be a good source. She wouldn't know everything, though."

Kei flipped through the pages, stopping on a picture of a destroyed Diagon Alley. Hermione's eyes refused to focus on the image. "Some things don't require an insider's perspective."

"What is this about, Kei-kun?"

He sighed and sat back, watching her, "You've given your country so much. Why should you let them force you to marry? I don't understand."

"It's not for them! Why do people keep saying I'm doing this for them." Hermione sighed in frustration.

"People?"

"Akaashi."

"Ah." He shrugged. "Maybe because under normal circumstances we realize you'd never get married at nineteen."

"Ugh." Hermione's head dropped into her hands. "It's not ideal. I know that. But this is _for_ Tetsurou and me."

"You could just stay in Japan, go to college, and get married years from now. None of us would care. Shit, it would even be a lot easier for Kuroo-senpai."

She knew it would. She appreciated so much that he'd never even considered excluding England from their future.

"But _I_ would care _._ "

"Exactly. Because you want to help your country, even after it's taken so much from you."

Hermione glared at her cousin.

"It's my country. They're my friends. I fought a war with them. For them. Of course I care."

"It's not your friends forcing you to do this. They would understand."

She sighed, "I know they would, Kei-kun, but I couldn't live with myself if I just abandoned them while they're trying to pick up the pieces of the war. I can't just abandon everyone who needs someone to fight for policies that could help them. If I see problems with something, and there are definitely problems with Britain's magical world, then I just have to try to fix it."

"So find some way to help those people and still prioritize yourself."

"That's easier said than done, Kei-kun." She sighed, "I am trying, though. I promise."

Golden eyes stared at her for a moment, then he nodded in acceptance. "Good." He turned back to the dinosaur, "I can at least understand why you fell in love with it in the first place, despite its…despite everything else."

Hermione smiled at her cousin as he watched the dinosaur, "Magic is a wonderful thing. That's why I can't stand to see it perverted so much for injustices."

"You're too nice, nee-san."

"Some of us have to be." Hermione shrugged, "Enough of that, though. We're supposed to be celebrating your birthday today. Is there anything you wanted to do?"

Kei shook his head. "No. Just… spend time with you, I suppose. You've been gone a lot." He refused to look up from the dinosaur.

Hermione smiled at him. "Brachium took several trips to Kotodama, gomen. Do you want to watch him wander for a bit and I'll stay here and get some reading done?"

Kei nodded, settling himself down so that his eyes were at the same level at the dinosaur's head. It had now wandered over to some of the magical trees in the terrarium and was browsing through the leaves.

Hermione reached into her bag and grabbed a defense textbook for her NEWT review, then settled down with a notepad and pen across from her cousin.

The hours stretched by comfortably between them, though for the life of her Hermione couldn't understand how Kei could stare at the terrarium for so long. All it was doing was eating.

She smiled to herself, Tetsurou and Bokuto were never going to let anyone speak ill of their gift-giving abilities ever again.

About an hour before dinner, Hermione helped Kei bring the terrarium upstairs to his room, showing him how to adjust the ward diagram Akaashi had made so that any muggle friends he had over (i.e. Yamaguchi) would think that the animal was just a turtle.

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: Yeah :/ the updates are going a bit slower than I had planned, unfortunately, bur irl stuff is being difficult atm. I'll put them out when I can and I promise I'm definitely still writing, even if it's taking me longer! Hope you liked the present :)


	18. Catching up with Harry and Ron

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

"How have classes been going?" Hermione was lounging on Tetsurou's bed, the mirror propped up against his pillow. Tetsurou himself was across the room, absorbed in concocting a potion.

There was silence from the mirror. Harry and Ron looked uneasily at each other.

Hermione frowned, "What? What's happening?"

"Nothing bad!" Both Harry and Ron spoke at once, eager to reassure her.

Harry looked off to the side and Ron looked uneasily between her and Harry. He sighed, "It's just hard, being here every day. Being here without you. Walking down the staircase where Nagini attacked us, the wall where Fred…" Ron stopped talking.

"It's hard." Harry swallowed and looked up at her, "everyone's pretty subdued this year. Being in the same class as Ginny helps for a distraction, but then we remember _why_ we're in the same class, you know?"

Hermione watched her two boys try to hold in their sadness. Try to put on a brave face like everyone always expected. "I wish I could be there with you."

"No." Harry's voice was firm and Ron shook his head adamantly. "We're glad you're there. Glad you don't have to face this, too. We've honestly thought about trying to study on our own and not come back after hols, but…" Harry sighed, "We're just not studious like you. Even with all of our problems focusing at Hogwarts, we'll still get more accomplished here than at the Burrow or Grimmauld Place or somewhere."

"Not to mention the distractions that would be there, as well."

"Yeah."

She hated how hollow his voice sounded. How hollow both their voices sounded. Well, there was one way to try and cheer them both up… "Quidditch is happening again, right?"

Immediately both of them perked up. Hermione shook her head, smiling at their ridiculousness.

Ron nodded, "Yeah. The first quidditch match is tomorrow, so we're all excited about that. We won't be playing, though, because it's Ravenclaw versus Slytherin."

"I'm sure that will be fun." Hermione wrinkled her nose. She definitely didn't miss those games. At least volleyball was indoors.

Harry grinned, "The weather shouldn't be too bad, so it should be, yeah."

"I hope you two have fun. And Ginny and the others, of course."

There was an awkward silence at yet another reminder that they weren't together. Ron spoke up, his voice stiff, "How are things in Japan?"

"Alright, I suppose? I've been able to study on my own during the day, so I'm actually able to get quite a bit of work done." She frowned, "The ambassador internship is difficult, though, because I'm not quite sure how to navigate the political arena. However, I did have lunch with one of the other ambassadors yesterday."

"That sounds good, at least."

"It was. She was helpful and let me know all about how the ambassadors are usually treated." Hermione sighed, recalling that unpleasant conversation, "Basically not well. A few of the department heads refuse to even listen to them or let them speak relating to their departments' issues."

"Chikusho!"

Hermione looked over, startled, to see Tetsurou scrambling back from his cauldron.

Well, from what was left of his cauldron.

It looked like whatever potion he had created had become to acidic and eaten through the cauldron, then started eating through the table before some sort of shield had been activated and sprung up around the substance, encasing it in magical energy.

Tetsurou eyed the mixture warily.

"Mio, love, could you banish that for me?" The magical shield was beginning to flicker. Was the substance eating through that, as well?

She quickly drew her wand and banished it. Finding out the answer to that question would be more trouble than it was worth.

Tetsurou sighed in relief. "Arigatou."

"What exactly was that?"

"Umm…" Tetsurou shrugged. "I'm not sure? I was working on Baruffio's Brain Elixer, but we don't have some of the ingredients in Japan, so I was substituting some things… I don't know why the substitutions caused that reaction." He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair in frustration. "Back to my notes, I suppose."

"That's a really difficult potion, Tetsurou!"

"For the mastery I need to successfully adapt a level 7 difficulty potion to Japanese ingredients. Well, either that or create my own level 5 or above potion recipe from scratch." He picked up a notebook off the counter and flopped down onto the ground. "I really thought that combination was going to work, too."

"You have to do _what_?" Ron's incredulous voice drifted from the mirror.

Hermione tried to push down her emotions. _Why_ did she have to be so attracted to casual displays of intelligence?

Tetsurou smirked at her, though his eyes still looked frustrated. "So you like the idea of me creating something like that, hmm?"

Merlin that smirk should be illegal.

Hermione blushed and looked away from him. Why was she so bad at dampening her emotions? "I respect your intelligence. That's all."

"Sure thing, love." Tetsurou was grinning at her, but she refused to be too embarrassed. Especially since his own emotions spiked whenever she got flustered. Clearly he liked her responses to his teasing.

"Oi. Still here."

Hermione blushed, "Sorry, Ron." She really should try to be more sensitive to him. He was being great about the bond, she didn't need to rub it in his face. Hermione turned her attention back to the mirror as Tetsurou rolled his eyes and flipped open his notebook.

"Things are going well on that front, then?" Harry was grinning, while Ron wore a put-upon expression.

"Harry Potter I am hardly going to discuss the ins and outs of my relationship with you, especially with Tetsurou sitting a few feet away."

Harry shrugged, "Well you seemed to forget that we were here just fine, so…"

Hermione groaned. "That's different! You're in a mirror! It's not like you're physically sitting here or like I can feel your reaction to everything I say."

The two of them were snickering now, as was Tetsurou. Hermione groaned in frustration. It was impossible to glare at all three boys at once. She settled for glaring at Harry and Ron.

She sniffed. "If you must know, the bond is mostly settling down. Distance can be a bit problematic after a few hours, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was."

There was a sigh from across the room. "Mio, tell them the full truth."

"I did!" She turned to glare at Tetsurou. How dare he suggest otherwise?

He raised an eyebrow, "You aren't frustrated by the current state?"

Frustrated? "Well, yes, the whole marriage thing is ridiculous, but—"

He groaned, "Not what I was talking about, but yeah, you should probably talk to them about that, too. I'll leave if you want."

"I do _not_ need to have that conversation again."

"What conversation, Hermione?" She ignored Harry's question, still trying to figure what Tetsurou meant if that wasn't it.

When the lingering silence made it clear that she was determined not to talk about that topic, Tetsurou spoke up, "You've been annoyed about the fact that we can't talk to each other telepathically without others noticing."

"Oh." Hermione blinked. "Well, yes, but I don't really know what to do about that, or how they could help." She sighed, "I should have asked Akaashi about it when I had the chance." She bit her lip. There was just so much to keep track of right now…

"Have you tried occlumency?" Hermione looked back toward Harry, frustrated.

"You should know that's not the easiest thing to pick up on your own, Harry."

He shrugged, "Snape said it was different for each person."

"Well, I haven't tried, but I'm not optimistic about that." Even trying to clear her mind and relax for a minute or so was difficult.

"I asked Bo at the zoo," Tetsurou looked up briefly from his journal, "but he said that he and Akaashi just don't talk telepathically in circumstances where people might notice."

Hermione wrinkled her nose, "Well that's one way, but I'd hate to just throw away a method of communication that might be helpful. I'd rather figure out how to use it."

Harry frowned, "We could ask around. See if anyone has any ideas on something that might help."

"Thanks, that would mean a lot. Telepathy isn't an uncommon skill among soulbonds, so surely there's something that's been written about it."

Harry grinned, "I was thinking of talking to see if someone had personal experience, not if they knew a book, Hermione, but I'll ask about that, too."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's always a good idea to check all types of sources, Harry."

"Whatever you say."

Tetsurou groaned and lay down on his back, tossing the journal to the side. Hermione looked over at him, "Did you find what went wrong?"

"Yeah. Kappa skin is fine with the roots of mandrakes, but not the leaves. I don't use the leaves that often, so I forgot about that difference."

Hermione blinked. She…hadn't known that. It made sense that he was beyond her in potions, but…

"Before this conversation derails into potions flirting _again_ , Hermione, can I ask you a question?" Harry's voice was teasing, but also exasperated.

She blushed and turned back to him, "What do you need to ask?"

"Can you take Teddy in a few weekends?

Hermione blinked. "Probably? Why? What's going on?"

"Mum just needs a break." Ron was fidgeting where he sat, "Teddy's been staying with her while we're at school and her letters are sounding a bit stressed."

"Oh." Hermione frowned. Mrs. Weasley had raised so many problem children, though. What could Teddy be doing to make her stressed? Maybe it was just that she was older now?

"I'll be glad to help. Tetsurou?" She looked over at her soulmate, who was now pulling books off of the shelf.

"Sure, love. I meant it when I said we'd be there for the kid." He was flipping through pages, completely distracted. She sighed, she'd have to talk to him later about which weekend would be best.

"Arigatou." She turned back to Harry, "Just let me look at a calendar and talk to the Tsukishimas about it."

"Sounds good, thank you, Hermione." Both Harry and Ron's shoulders sagged in relief. How bad _were_ things?

"Everything else is going well?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yes, Hermione. Everything else is going well."

"Unless there's something else you want to talk about, 'Mione, we'll leave you and Kuroo-san to your weird potions flirting."

"We're not."

"We totally are, Mio."

Hermione blushed, "Tetsurou!" He was looking at her from over the top of a book, smirking. He had just been completely absorbed a second ago! Apparently he'd found whatever he'd been looking for. His eyes were focused entirely on her, and she could feel his arousal over the bond, which just made her blush harder. "We're _not._ "

Harry groaned, "I am not getting involved in this. Bye, Hermione. Talk to you next weekend."

The mirror went blank.

She groaned.

" _Tetsurou_."

"Yes, love?"

His voice sounded so innocent. She pushed herself up and sat on the edge of his bed. "Was that necessary?"

"Of course. You're cute when you blush, so I have to seize every opportunity to make you do so."

She threw the pillow at him.

He laughed and blocked it, "Careful! There are potions and valuable ingredients over here."

"Like I haven't noticed your fancy wards all over that side of the room. Did Akaashi do those?"

"One of his uncles or something, yeah. I got it done as a birthday present once my grandmother allowed me to do potions on my own. Okaa-san didn't want me to be defenseless if something went wrong, since I can't use my wand well." He sighed and set the book on the ground next to him. "I could use a break."

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"You."

Hermione's eyes widened. She fought down the blush. "I am not a thing, Tetsurou."

"True." He stood up slowly, stretching his legs and arms sinuously.

Hermione swallowed.

This was not fair. Tetsurou was watching her closely, eyes hooded. "We're in private. You said now that we're technically married we could kiss more often, right?"

She nodded slowly. Part of her really wanted this, but another part of her was wary of the fact that they were alone, his parents weren't home, and she was sitting on his bed.

He took a few steps forward until he was in front of her. Her mouth went dry at the look in his yes. "Seeing you blush like that while lying on my bed, Mio… Do you know how much I've wanted to kiss you for a while now?"

She shook her head; the way their magic fed off each other when they were aroused was intoxicating. "Tetsurou, I'm not… kissing like this is nice, but I'm not ready for much more than this."

"Don't worry, Mio. I know. I can feel your emotions and I know your thoughts, alright? No clothes will come off. Well." He grinned. "None of yours. You mind if I take my shirt off?"

Hermione's eyes widened. Kissing. With his shirt off. "That… yes." Her blush deepened and she looked off to the side. "I'd like that."

It felt fast, but also…right? She wanted this.

"Then I'll do that."

Once again his arms stretched upwards, but this time pulling his shirt up with them.

Her mouth went dry as he revealed his torso. Tentatively, she raised her hands, fingers ghosting over his skin, then resting on his hips.

Tetsurou tossed his shirt to the side, then looked down at her, eyes hooded. "If you ever want to stop, just tell me."

"Of course." She felt…powerful, sexy. She'd never dreamed she would be able to cause this reaction in someone as attractive in Tetsurou.

His hand pushed gently on her shoulder, forcing her onto her back, and then he was leaning over her, his arms and legs on either side, caging her.

She swallowed, "Tetsu…"

Her voice didn't sound normal. Tetsurou leaned down, mouth closing around hers. He was surrounding her. Everywhere. His body, his scent, his magic… She whimpered.

He was overwhelming.

* * *

A/N: HEY, HEY, HEY! I'm back! Sorry for the long delay, I've been having some health problems :/ I'm going to try to update here and there, but unfortunately won't be able to get back to a regular schedule until June

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel & Chibi-no-baka: Glad y'all enjoyed the gift! It took a while to think of the best present for Tsukki J because he deserves the best

MillersMoonPrincess: thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying my story! They'll get there eventually, but being told to marry someone while you're in hs would be a bit intimidating.


	19. Johzenji

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione stared at the high school map, completely lost. Why did schools need so many gyms? At this rate they were going to miss Karasuno's first match.

"Relax, love. We'll make it."

"The match started five minutes ago."

Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "Matches start late. We're fine."

Hermione let out an exasperated breath and returned her attention to the map, trusting Tetsurou to keep her from walking into anyone.

His hand touched the small of her back, keeping them connected as they wove through the crowd. She could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. It was…different. Nice.

Focus on the map. Not her boyfriend. Husband? Whatever he was.

"I think they're in that gym ahead."

"Third time's the charm."

"Seriously. How many gyms do high schools need?"

"Most schools play more than one sport." Tetsurou looked down to grin at her.

Hermione huffed and pushed open the gym door. The sound of sneakers and cheers and the thwak of the volleyball hitting the gym floor filled the air.

She wrinkled her nose at the stench.

Why did gyms always stink? It's not like they weren't cleaned regularly.

She sighed in relief when she caught sight of the Karasuno uniforms. The match had indeed already started, but from the looks of things the boys were doing well.

"Wanna grab a seat?" She nodded. He stepped ahead of her, making his way to the bleacher stairs. Hermione hurried to catch up, then caught hold of his hand. He gave her a surprised grin, but slowed his pace down a bit. "Too fast for you?"

"Not all of us have such long legs."

"Not everyone can be so blessed."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She could see Yachi, now, so she waved at the girl and went over to take a seat next to her, ignoring her snarky soulmate.

"Good morning Yachi! How's the game going?" The score looked fairly even so far.

"What the heck?!"

Hermione looked over at Tetsurou, startled. He was gaping at the court. He waved his indignantly, "What was that?!"

"What was what?"

"Um…" Yachi looked nervously at Tetsurou, "Apparently this team is known for their unconventional moves."

"I'll say." Tetsurou leaned forward in his seat. "I've never seen someone make a hit with their body positioned like that. It's totally unpredictable." He grinned, "Tsukki has to be so annoyed right now."

Hermione glanced over at her cousin. He was indeed glaring at the other team in frustration, especially the boy with the captain jersey.

She sighed. "He won't always be able to predict his opponents, though, right?"

"No, but players like this can be annoying. Karasuno should be fine, but…" he shrugged, "Teams like this are wild cards. You never know how they'll do."

"At least we're ahead in points."

"True."

A group of boys were talking behind them, saying something about the Johzenji team.

Tetsurou tilted his head back, observing the volleyball players behind them. They were wearing another team's jersey but appeared to be here to watch and support Karasuno.

"2-on-2 games? That's brutal and unnecessary. You'd never be able to connect with your teammates like that." Hermione watched as the other boys nodded in agreement with Tetsurou's words. Yachi was practically quaking in fear next to her, so Hermione smiled at the girl to reassure her. It's not like the boys would do anything.

The one with short brown hair looked toward them. "We're from Date Tech. I'm next year's captain, Futakuchi Kenji."

"Kuroo Tetsurou. Captain of Nekoma High's team."

The Date Tech boys blinked in surprise. "What's the captain of a Tokyo school doing here?"

Tetsurou grinned, "We go to training camp with Karasuno, so I came down to support them. Plus I'm dating one of their cousins, so…" He shrugged, "A show of support is required from me. Right, Mio?"

"Of course." She rolled her eyes, "You didn't have to skip school, though."

"Details." Tetsurou had returned his attention to the game, and he suddenly burst out laughing.

The other boys were snickering as well. What had she missed?

Then she saw the blood gushing from Kageyama's nose. She groaned. "Did Kageyama-san get hit in the head?"

Tetsurou snickered, "Idiot jumped too fast and ended up blocking with his face instead of his hands or arms."

Hermione sighed. Her first impulse was always to heal her friends, but there was no way she could do so since Kageyama didn't even know about magic.

She wasn't surprised when Kageyama was escorted to the infirmary and Hinata quickly substituted.

At least they were maintaining a steady lead.

Kageyama even returned quickly, but since they were close to set point, it didn't make much sense to substitute him back into the game. Or at least that's what she thought (and confirmed as a valid assumption by taking a quick peek into Tetsurou's mind).

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Did they just…?"

Tetsurou was doubled over, laughing his head off. "Man, and I thought Karasuno was full of overenthusiastic idiots!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Trying a synchro attack for the first time on your opponent's set point. They're a spontaneous team, alright."

Kei looked frozen in shock on the court as he stared at the other team incredulously. Specifically, as he stared at the captain incredulously.

She frowned. Something seemed…off. She didn't know if the team behind them would be playing Karasuno later, so she didn't want to say anything aloud, but…

 _Does Kei seem odd to you?_

 _Always._

 _Tetsurou!_

 _Kidding, kidding. I mean, he's annoyed by the team's unpredictability, sure. What do you mean?_

Maybe it was just her? _He's focusing too much on the team's captain. In all the practice matches he usually spread his attention out evenly._

 _You watch your cousin closely, huh?_

 _Of course._

 _I'll pay attention to it in the second set._

 _Arigatou._ She reached over hesitantly and wound her fingers through his. It's not like anyone was paying them any attention, and she really did like holding his hand. Plus it always soothed her magic.

He squeezed her hand gently, and Hermione blushed. Yachi was giving them a shy smile.

The second set started.

Karasuno held a firm lead in the first half, but things became a bit tighter after Johzenji's time-out.

 _I see what you mean. He's almost solely focused on the captain and he's making mistakes because of it. I don't think anyone else has noticed because the other team is so unpredictable, though._

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. _Why is he so focused, though? That's what I can't figure out._

 _The captain is the most unpredictable, maybe? We can ask him afterward. They should win, anyway, so it's not too big of a deal as long as it's just a thing for this match._

Hermione sighed. _I just worry about him._

 _It's probably nothing, love._ Another reassuring squeeze of her hand. Hermione bit her lip and looked down in her lap.

She…wasn't used to this. Ron had never really bothered with casual shows of affection, and Viktor…well, that hadn't really been anything to begin with.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief when the opposing team tried yet another synchro attack on Karasuno's set point. It went better than last time, she supposed, but the out-of-bounds hit meant it was still Karasuno's point.

Karasuno won.

Hermione cheered for them, then quickly made her way out of the bleachers and into the hallway where she could meet them, Tetsurou following behind her.

Despite having won the game, Kei still looked frustrated, a line creasing his forehead.

"Kei-kun, congrats on winning."

His smile was tight, "Arigatou, nee-san."

Tetsurou gave a dramatic sigh, "You two are too polite. Cute the crap, Tsukki, and tell us what's wrong."

Golden eyes widened and he looked over at his teammates, who were now clearly eavesdropping. "Nothing's wrong."

"Yeah, that answer's not going to work." Tetsurou reached forward and grabbed Kei's arm, then began pulling him down the hallway.

"Kuroo-senpai!" Kei tried to free his arm unsuccessfully, then groaned and just followed him. "You don't have to pull me, Kuroo-senpai. I'll come."

Tetsurou ignored him.

Hermione sighed, following behind the two of them. Kei _was_ more likely to give them some answers in private, at least.

Tetsurou rounded a corner, then stopped at the end of a fairly secluded hallway. "Now. No more bullshit. What's wrong?"

Kei glared at them both. "This is hardly necessary."

Hermione bit her lip, "Gomen, Kei-kun, but you weren't playing like you normally do. It concerned me."

Kei's eyebrow twitched. "So you got worried, and now Kuroo-senpai is acting all protective in order to get you to stop worrying?"

"I care about you, too, Tsukki."

"Right. Of course." Kei glared at them both. "It really is nothing. I was just having an off game, that's all."

"You were focusing on the captain. Why?"

His eyes widened, "Was it that noticeable?" His mouth twisted in annoyance, "Tch. Whatever. It won't happen again."

"But why did it happen in the first place, Kei-kun?"

Kei began to fiddle with his necklace uneasily. "No reason."

"Bullshit."

Kei looked down the hallway, "Look, I know not to focus on one player and lose sight of the others. It was just a one-time thing, that's all."

"But why, Kei-kun? We're just concerned, that's all."

Kei blushed. "It's stupid. Alright? It's not important."

Hermione blinked in surprise. Her cousin was actually blushing? She felt amusement over the bond and sent a sharp warning at Tetsurou before he said something that would make it worse. "Kei-kun, whatever has you this frustrated is obviously important." He always kept his cool. She'd only seen him flustered with the kitsune in Kotodama. What had him so embarrassed?

"I'm only frustrated because you two have cornered me!" Aaannndd the glare was back.

Hermione sighed. "We're family. We care about you."

"Kuroo-senpai is not family."

"Oi!" Tetsurou stuck his tongue out at Kei, unable to fully refute him in a non-magical, public setting. "Stop being insensitive, you stupid gaki. I care about you, too."

"Tch." Kei looked away from them, still fiddling with his necklace. He sighed. "Fine. Just don't… I don't know." He paused, eyes looking uncertainly between them both. "I was focused on the captain because he was attractive, ok? Nothing to get so worried about."

Hermione stood there in shock. She hadn't even realized Kei liked guys. Not that it mattered! But how had she missed that detail?

Wait. Kei looked… ashamed.

"Kei-ken, you know it's alright to like a guy, right?"

"I don't like him!"

She could feel concern growing rapidly over the bond, "Tsukki, you're fine with Bo and Akaashi, right? This isn't any different-"

"Of course it's different! They have the whole… you know, thing."

He was still refusing to look at them, his hand clenched tightly around the feather necklace.

"It's not any different, Kei-kun. Not at all. If anything, it just means that it's natural for people to like the same gender. And you said he was attractive. That's a big step toward liking someone."

"Natural for people like you." There was disdain coating his voice.

Hermione recoiled from her cousin. People like her? He didn't… he couldn't mean it like that. Like there was something different between them, something that made her… no. Kei didn't think like that. He didn't. There had been disdain, yes, but also… self-hatred? He… She fought to control her breath. Kei wasn't like them.

"Tsukki!" Tetsurou had grabbed Kei's shirt pulling him forward, "What the heck is that about, huh?"

Kei's eyes were wide. She could feel them focusing on her. "Gomen. I… I didn't mean it like that, nee-san. You…" he released a soft laugh, "I've seen enough of your world to know that you can be horrible, but you can also be wonderful. You're no different than us. It's just…. Your world accepts this. Mine doesn't."

That… made sense. It even echoed what Akaashi had said, somewhat. "We're here for you, though, Kei-kun."

"I've never… never thought a guy was attractive before. Not that way. It was distracting." Kei frowned, finally relaxing a bit as he began to vent, "And he kept making such obnoxious plays! Who hits the ball that way?! So I had to pay attention to him. I had no choice. But he was so distracting and such and idiot and… tch." Kei looked away from them both, "Whatever. It doesn't matter now."

Tetsurou burst out laughing.

"What the hell?! Why are you laughing, baka-senpai?"

"It's just…" more laughter. Hermione shook her head at them both. She was glad the mood had lifted a bit, at least. Tetsurou finally got his breath to speak again, "Tsukki, his whole team was playing in ridiculous ways."

"But he was the worst! He may have been attractive, but I do _not_ like him. He was just an idiot and distracting."

"But he was an attractive, distracting idiot?" Tetsurou was still snickering.

Hermione sighed, "Thank you for telling us, Kei-kun. I'm sorry we pressured you into it."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I get why you were worried and all, but don't tell the team? Please? I don't… I don't know how they'd react."

Hermione smiled gently at her cousin, "Of course." She was pretty sure most, if not all, of them would be fine with it, but that was Kei's decision. She gestured back down the hallway, "Should we go back, then? They're probably worried after we kidnapped you like that."

"And thanks sooo much for that, by the way. I don't think the idiots actually noticed anything during the match."

"Just tell them we were overreacting. We'll vouch for you that everything's fine."

Tsukki glared at them. "I'm holding both of you—" His voice cut off with a strangled noise after they rounded the corner.

Hermione gave her cousin a confused look, but her eyes widened when she noticed the reason for his sudden silence.

The Johzenji captain was leaning against the wall, gym bag slung over his shoulder and a large grin across his face.

"Yo, blondie. Hope you don't mind, but I couldn't help but overhear the last part of your conversation just now as I was walking by. If you don't want something like that to happen, you really should be more aware of your surroundings." The captain walked forward, standing directly in front of her cousin and looking up at him. "So I distract you?"

Kei glared at the shorter boy, his shoulders tense, "With your stupid plays, yes. Who tries a synchronized attack for the first time on their opponent's set point?"

Hermione frowned, looking between the two uncertainly. Should she interrupt? Kei didn't at all seem like he was ready to deal with this…

 _Just let it play out, love. Tsukki can stand up for himself. If it gets too bad, we'll step in, but he'll just get annoyed if we try to protect him._

Well, that was certainly true.

The boy grinned, "It was fun. And we got it the second time. More to the point, though, handsome," Kei's eyes widened at the nickname, "I do believe you said I distracted you because I was attractive."

Kei's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment. The other boy grinned, "Not gonna answer?"

"Why answer when you already know."

The boy grinned. "Terushima Yuuji, handsome. You got a name?"

There was a long pause before Kei let out a reluctant, "Tsukishima Kei."

"And is there a phone number to go with that name?"

Tetsurou's grin was widening by the second and amusement flared across the bond. _Well the guy is definitely interested._ Hermione bit her lip, still unsure of whether or not to intervene.

Kei glared at the Johzenji captain, "I don't give my number to idiots."

"It's a good thing I'm not an idiot, then, Tsukishima-san."

"Your plays would beg to differ."

"You couldn't read my plays, so who does that make the real idiot, megane-kun?" Terushima's smirk was playful, his eyes alight with delight at the chance to banter.

Kei's eyes, however, flashed with annoyance. "We still won."

Terushima shrugged, "Yeah, and that sucks. We'll be better next time, though." Kei tried to step forward, but Terushima blocked his way. "In the meantime, handsome, I'd like to get to know you. You were boring on the court, but you've definitely been entertaining afterwards."

Kei's glare was back in full force, "Is everything just a game to you?"

Another shrug, "You've gotta have fun in life, right?"

"Plenty of people don't have fun in life."

"And they're all lame." Terushima cocked his head to the side, then grinned and set his gym bag down with a thump. He knelt down, rummaging through the outer pocket, then pulled out a pen. "Give me your hand, megane-kun."

"Stop calling me megane-kun." Kei glared at the captain. "And no way. I have to get back to my team."

Terushima rolled his eyes, then reached out and grabbed Kei's hand. Kei tried to pull it back, but the other guy's grip was firm.

Tetsurou was practically rolling on the ground with laughter at this point. Hermione sighed.

"Handsome, you really need to work on getting more muscles in your arms."

"Stop calling me that, too! And I'm just a first year, I'm still growing."

"Weak." Terushima stuck out his tongue. Hermione and Kei's eyes both widened at the tongue piercing. "That's just a lame excuse, beautiful." Terushima returned his attention to Kei's hand, quickly scrawling out a set of numbers.

Kei jerked his hand back as soon as the other boy released it.

Kei scowled at his hand. "No nicknames. I'm washing this off as soon as you leave."

Terushima grinned, "You're too attractive, beautiful. I can't help it. And wash it off if you must, but you better take a pic first, because I like the idea of seeing you again." The boy winked, then reached down and slung his bag over his shoulder.

The three of them stared as he walked away whistling.

"What the hell just happened."

Hermione giggled, "I believe, Kei-kun, that you got his number."

"I—a phone number?" Kei stared at his hand in horror. "A guy's phone number. What the hell."

"You're repeating yourself, cuz."

"Don't call me that."

Hermione and Tetsurou shared a grin at her cousin's orneriness. "How about we keep heading back to the team?"

"Why didn't you block eavesdroppers? You could have done that."

"It's not good to over-rely on that, Kei-kun." She paused, then smiled softly at him, "And I think it worked out."

"It was mortifying."

Hermione shrugged, "But now you have your crush's number."

"It's _not_ a crush."

"Sure, Tsukki. Whatever you say. The guy had you tripping all over yourself the entire match."

"I was not! The team never even noticed."

"That's because your team is full of idiots." Tetsurou paused, cocking his head to the side, "I bet Yamaguchi-san, along with your captain and vice captain, all noticed, though, just didn't say anything."

Kei groaned, "That is not helpful."

"They were probably just as confused as we were, so your secret is safe."

"Thank you so much, nee-san." Hermione didn't even have to look at her cousin to know that he was rolling his eyes.

She patted his shoulder, "It'll all be fine, Kei-kun."

The three of them rounded another corner and saw the Karasuno team a little ways off. Hermione waved, and Yamaguchi immediately saw and perked up.

"Tsukki! There you are!" Yamaguchi darted toward his friend, "Is everything ok?"

Kei nodded, "It's fine. They were just being idiots and overreacting."

"Oh, ok. That's—" Yamaguchi froze, staring at Kei's palm. "Is that a phone number?"

Kei blushed as the whole team stopped with their pretense of eavesdropping and openly stared at the blonde first year.

Nishinoya let out a woop, "Awesome! Is she hot?"

Hermione groaned, not sure if she should be impressed or not that Noya was somehow managing to express himself in English now that a girl was supposedly involved.

"Shut up. I'm washing it off, I just haven't had the chance to go to the bathroom, yet."

"Eh?!" Both Tanaka and Nishinoya started shouting in Japanese, and Kei's expression only grew more and more annoyed.

"That's it. I'm going to the restroom."

Hermione sighed as he left. She really did hope Tsukki wrote it down or took a picture, first. Even if all he did was talk to this Terushima guy, it would help him come to terms with this new part of himself.

 _Don't worry, I got a pic, love._

Hermione turned sharply toward her soulmate, _Really?_

 _Tsukki's been distracted. Didn't even notice me pull out my phone as we walked. Any guy that can do that to our cousin is worth keeping around._

Our cousin. She really did like the way that sounded. "Arigatou, Tetsurou. You're the best."

He smirked at her, "Keep the praise coming, love. I'll always appreciate it."

"Ano…" Yamaguchi glanced between them, confused. "Will Tsukki be ok? He was really distracted during the game, and it's not like him to just let someone write their phone number on his palm."

Hermione sighed, "The other person grabbed his hand and wrote it down before Kei-kun could pull his hand away. It wasn't exactly a willing thing."

Yamaguchi's eyes widened. "That's… awfully forward. But it makes more sense."

Tetsurou snickered, "Yeah, they were really forward, alright."

"Eto…" Yamaguchi looked back toward the coach, "Coach Ukai wants us to go to the bus soon."

Hermione sighed, "We'll go find Kei-kun."

Yamaguchi grinned sheepishly at the two of them, "Arigatou. I'll tell the coach he's coming."

They nodded and turned down the hallway to find the nearest restroom. Thankfully, they didn't have to go far because Kei soon came walking toward them, hands ink free.

"Kei-kun, the team has already headed to the buses."

He nodded, "I figured as much."

The three of them fell into step with each other, Hermione in between Tetsurou and Kei as the two bickered over her head. She marveled at how natural it felt to be walking between these two boys. They were much taller than Harry and Ron, but she felt just as at ease around them, despite having known them for a much shorter time.

"Did you keep the number or not, Tsukki?"

"I washed it off."

"That doesn't mean you didn't keep it."

Kei's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Why would I keep that idiot's number?"

They rounded the corner and the Karasuno team came into view. Thankfully they hadn't had too much of a head start.

"Because you think he's—"

Kei's hand shot out, covering Tetsurou's mouth. "Not. One. More. Word."

Hermione felt Tetsurou's desire for mischief spike right before Kei let out a disgruntled, "What the heck?! You licked me!"

"Your hand was on my mouth." Tetsurou shrugged, "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Not finish your sentence! That was it! You didn't need to lick me!"

They'd reached the team by now, all of whom were watching them in confusion. Hermione sighed, " _Boys._ "

The two stopped arguing, Kei glaring at the ground and Tetsurou snickering.

"Come on, Tetsurou. We've delivered Kei to the team, we should head back to our own car." The coach understandably wouldn't want people associated with another team to hear Karasuno's debrief. And they could apparate, anyway. They'd be back at the Tsukishima's long before Kei.

"See you both at home, then." Kei eyed the bus with distaste, but slowly made his way toward it. He was immediately bombarded by Nishinoya, who seemed to be asking him about the girl's number.

Hermione winced. Poor Kei.

Tetsurou slipped his hand into hers, pulling it up to brush a kiss on top of her knuckles. There were catcalls coming from Karasuno, making Hermione blush. "Shall we go home, love?"

"Of course."

* * *

A/N: As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy. The fic will be following the haikyuu plotline for the next few chapters, so sorry if that gets confusing for those of you who don't know the anime!

BrownEyesAngel & NYFanFic: Thank y'all for your concern about my health, and I'm glad y'all enjoyed the chapter! My health isn't too serious, but it is a chronic pain thing, so I have a hard time juggling work and school, much less doing anything for fun L writing helps with stress relief, though, so I definitely will always keep working on the story! Mental health is important as well, after all J


	20. Wakunan

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione frowned at the schedule in front of her, trying to decode the Japanese. "So first we're playing against…Wakutani Minami?"

She looked skeptically across the court where a family was loudly cheering for their son, who was apparently the captain. Kei had never mentioned anything about this team being a challenge.

Karasuno chose that moment to enter the gym, each player quickly starting his warm up stretches. Kei nodded toward them after he saw them in the gym—she wasn't hard to spot since she was currently wearing Kei's spare Karasuno jumper. It was ridiculously huge on her, even though she'd cheated and shrunk it a bit, much to his annoyance.

Tetsurou sighed dramatically, "Tsukki's so serious about the game, now." He wiped away a fake tear, "They just grow up so fast."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "He's not your child, Tetsurou."

"But I've helped him through so much!"

"Back off, Kuroo, he's _my_ brother. I'm the one that taught him everything." Akiteru slipped into the seat on Hermione's other side.

"Akiteru!" She gave him a one-sided hug and he grinned at her.

"Surprised? I managed to slip away from university. Kei won't be happy but…" Akiteru shrugged, "When is he ever happy?"

"Minna!" Hermione looked past Akiteru to see Yachi waving at them, two older people following her. They filed into the chairs behind the three of them. "Eto… introductions." The guy and girl next to her gave Yachi startled glances.

"Eigo?" The girl's voice was rough. Hermione eyed her in confusion. She was pretty sure the guy was one of the Coach Ukai's friends, but she had no clue who the older blonde girl was.

Hermione could at least explain that she was British so that the girl would know why Yachi was speaking in English. "Gomen, igirisujin des. Nihongoga hanasemasen."

"Eh?" Now the girl had switched to looking at Hermione in shock. Then she burst out laughing. She said something in Japanese that had Yachi giggling, but the younger girl quickly straightened and continued in English.

"This is Tanaka Saeko, Tanaka-san's older sister. And Shimada Makoto, he used to play for Karasuno and he taught Yamaguchi-san how to do the jump float serve." Yachi then turned to face her companions, "Tanaka-san, Makoto-san, this is Tsukishima Akiteru, Tsukishima-san's older brother who used to play for Karasuno, Granger Hermione, Tsukishima-san's cousin, and Kuroo Tetsurou, Nekoma's captain who is currently dating Granger."

Hermione participated in the chorus of 'hajimemashite,' but was startled when Saeko-san immediately turned toward the court started calling out to her younger brother.

Her brother who appeared not to enjoy the attention, though the girl's presence certainly seemed to excite Nishinoya, who was now jumping up and down.

After she had suitably embarrassed her brother, the girl retuned her attention to them and rattled off something in Japanese, her attention focused on Akiteru. Hermione could contextualize that the girl wanted them to call her Saeko, but Akiteru had gone rigid, and for the life of her, Hermione couldn't figure out why, though Saeko had said his first name.

Tetsurou snickered beside her, _She asked if she could call him by his first name since multiple Tsukishimas was confusing. Then she called him handsome._

Hermione started giggling at the brothers' similar reactions to flirtation. Clearly Tsukishimas did not know how to handle anyone who was incredibly forward. Then again, she should probably include herself in that group.

Hermione's laughter grew as Akiteru gave a stuttered affirmative response.

 _Just imagine Kei's face when he figures out that Tanaka's older sister is interested in his brother._

Tetsurou burst out laughing next to her, which caused some confusion, but the others thankfully seemed to chalk it up to Akiteru's current blush and awkwardness.

 _We have got to get them together. Tsukki would be so ticked if he became related to Tanaka-san._

Hermione grinned, she agreed that it would be an interesting pair, so she was willing to hint at things and see what happened, but she was not going to do this with the sole purpose of annoying Kei, no matter how rewarding that result might be. If Akiteru didn't seem interested in Saeko, she'd stop.

A whistle blew down on the gym floor, and Hermione turned around in surprise. The match was starting.

It quickly became a back and forth interchange of points with neither side pulling ahead.

Tetsurou sighed, kicking his legs up onto the rail. "Tch, I hate wipes. Spikers are so annoying when they blocks against us like that." He grinned, "Tsukki's going to have his hands full, and the little brat knows it."

Hermione glanced over to where her cousin was currently standing in the wings. Sure enough, he looked decidedly annoyed. "What is Wakunan doing that's hard to deal with?"

"Their captain targets a blockers fingers with the spike to send the ball flying so that it can't connect to the other players." Tetsurou sighed. "The ball is touched last by the blocker, so when it goes out of bounds on the blocker's side of the court, the spiker's team gets the point."

"What can Karasuno do, then?"

"Perfect form, timing, stiff arms, they all help," Tetsurou shrugged. "In the end, though, your teammates behind you just have to be ready to run and hit the wipe."

Hermione cheered when Kei made a block that gave Karasuno a two-point lead, but the end of the next rally had her frozen in shock.

Sawamura was on the ground, and he wasn't moving.

The captain and Tanaka had collided while going for the ball.

Tanaka was rubbing his shoulder but appeared otherwise fine as he looked at their captain in alarm.

Yachi shot up and ran toward the stairs, no doubt heading toward the court to help as she could.

Hermione wanted to follow her. To heal him. To heal them both.

Tetsurou's hand clamped around her wrist.

 _I know, you want to help, but you can't. Not now._ Hermione nodded. She knew he was right, but she liked the captain. But right now everyone was looking at him, and he himself didn't even know about magic. There was no way she could heal him, not without causing a lot of chaos.

She bit her lip as Sawamura was escorted off the court by Coach Ukai. Sawamura would be fine, even without magic. He would be.

Tetsurou's hand slipped into hers. "He's walking on his own, he'll be ok."

She nodded. That _was_ a good sign. She may not have talked to him much, but Sawamura was obviously a determined guy. He would be back.

Ennoshita came onto the court, then, which Hermione supposed was the logical decision. He was certainly the most level-headed of the second years, and the team would need someone level-headed to replace Sawamura on the court.

At least they were now in the lead, 20 to 17. Just five more points.

21.

22.

23.

And Yamaguchi was subbed in to serve. Hermione could practically feel the tenseness radiating off of Shimida-san as Yamaguchi held the ball, and Tetsurou was sitting forward, concern written all over his features.

Hermione frowned. She knew Yamaguchi had bad nerves, but why were these two reacting so strongly?

The ball hit the top of the net.

It stayed there for a second, wobbling from one side to another, then fell down on the opponent's side.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, then cheered when Wakunan failed to receive it.

Set point. Just one more.

Yamaguchi was serving again, but… he didn't jump?

She blinked in surprise at the trio of groans from the three boys around her. "Don't give up, kid." Hermione looked at Akiteru uncertainly—give up? So not jumping had been a cowardly thing?

The ball went over the net, but Wakunan returned it, and it came flying straight toward Yamaguchi…who was standing there, frozen.

"Yamaguchi! Move!" Hermione was on her feet, yelling, the others standing and shouting, too.

Ennoshita dove to save the ball.

Azumane spiked it.

They won the set.

But Yamaguchi never moved.

Hermione bit her lip, watching Yamaguchi's expression crumble.

Coach Ukai was storming back into the gym at this point, yelling Yamaguchi's name, but Ennoshita intervened.

Hermione wanted to hug the boy she was so relieved. Whatever was going on down there, Yamaguchi was already beating himself up about it. He didn't need to be yelled at in addition to that.

She wished there was a way to talk to the boys in between sets. Coach Ukai at least seemed to have given them positive news about Sawamura, since the boys all perked up at once, but the captain wasn't back, yet.

The second set…didn't go well. The team just couldn't seem to catch up in points, and Ennoshita fumbled the ball repeatedly. Not that she could blame him, the pressure must be intense.

In the third set, though, Ennoshita fell back when the Wakunan captain was spiking, and managed to catch one of his wipes. With that and Kei's blocks, Karasuno managed to hold steady with Wakunan, but they still couldn't pull ahead.

Then Azumane managed to get a spike through, and they were ahead by one. Hermione stood and cheered while Tetsurou whistled next to her. "Azumane-san's spikes can be really hard to get if no one's narrowed his path. They've got some pretty good receivers to be able to pick up as many as they have."

Karasuno then did another synchronized attack, with Kageyama setting to Ennoshita of all people, but Ennoshita managed to score the point.

Tetsurou laughed next to her, "Kageyama sure knows how to keep his opponent's guessing."

"So I'm right that it was unusual to pick Ennoshita-san?"

"Yeah. It's toward the end of the third set and the ace is in the front line. By convention, that ball should have gone to Azumane-san. So of course the brat sent it to the substitute player who's barely gotten any spikes in. It's the exact opposite of what most players would expect."

Now they had 21 points to Wakunan's 19. Just four more.

Hermione groaned when Azumane's serve went out-of-bounds, but Tetsurou just snickered next to her, "Looks like that move is still a little unreliable for him."

She sighed. It was more reliable than it had been during the training camp from what she remembered, but that really wasn't saying much.

The other side missed a serve, a few spikes were exchanged, and suddenly the score was 24-23, with Karasuno in the lead.

Tetsurou leaned forward in his chair, eyes glued to the court. "They need to get this point. The last thing they need is three full sets with one ending in a deuce when they'll have an afternoon match afterwards."

Hermione frowned and returned her attention to the court. Hinata spiked, but it was received. Then the Wakunan captain spiked, but Ennoshita thankfully received the wipe. Then Hinata spiked again…. And the receive went awry.

The ball thudded on the ground, out of bounds.

Karasuno's point.

Hermione and Akiteru jumped up to cheer. Tetsurou leaned back in his chair, lounging with a satisfied grin. Hermione felt deafened by Saeko-san and Shimida-san's cheers behind her.

Tetsurou stood up and stretched as the team came over and did the customary bow to thank them for their support.

Kei glared at his brother the second he saw him. Akiteru hid behind Hermione, and she laughed at the brother's antics.

Saeko-san and Nishinoya-san were shouting something at each other in Japanese, while Tanaka-san fidgeted uneasily behind his friend.

As the team walked away, Hermione caught sight of Sawamura at the gym doors, watching them all. "Looks like Sawamura's alright." She took Tetsurou's hand, "Let's go meet them downstairs."

"Hai, hai."

As they approached the team, though, Yamaguchi ran past them, tears in his eyes. Hermione frowned. Kei was looking at his friend, obviously torn between following and continuing on with his teammates.

Tetsurou sighed next to her, then quickly let go of her hand and ran off after Yamaguchi. _I'll follow him and talk to him. He's probably still frustrated about his serve. Go tell Tsukki not to worry, alright? I'll use the bond to find you again when we're done talking._

 _Arigatou, Tetsurou._

 _In the bathroom. Classic._ She could feel his exasperation across the bond. _One of these days Tsukki will actually believe me when I say I'm a nice person._

Hermione shook her head, a small smile gracing her features. _I highly doubt that, Tetsurou. But I'll go update him._ She should start walking toward the team.

When she reached the team, she was glad to see that Kei was hanging at the back of the group. They were watching another game, maybe they would play the winners? Or they would be on this court next or something?

When she sat down next to her cousin, he didn't even bother to greet her. "Standing in the hallway staring into space after your boyfriend leaves to chase down someone else is not normal behavior, neesan."

Hermione blushed and she whacked his shoulder. "Shut up. Tetsurou's gone to check on Yamaguchi. You should be thankful."

Kei scoffed. "Right."

She rolled her eyes. Clearly he wasn't willing to voice any appreciation aloud. "What match are we watching?" She blinked in surprise when she noticed some of the boys that had sat with her and Tetsurou during yesterday's match. "Dateko?"

"Hai. Them versus Aoba Johsai. We'll play the winner next."

"Who do we want to win, then?"

"Dateko. We've beaten them before, and they're weaker now without their third years." His eyes flickered over to where some other players were talking with the Karasuno third years, "but they most likely won't win. Unfortunately Aoba Johsai has a pretty solid chance of winning this, unless they do something stupid."

Hermione looked at the scoreboard and winced. The light blue team did seem to have a pretty solid lead.

Kei's phone vibrated in his gym bag. He frowned but reached down to pull it out.

And immediately the frown deepened.

"Nee-san, why am I getting a text from the Johzenji captain?"

"Eh?" Hermione blinked in surprise, then waved her hands in denial as Kei turned to glare at her. "I didn't do anything!"

"So Kuroo-senpai did."

"Well…"

"You aren't denying it."

"He took a picture of the guy's number, but I don't know if he did anything with it." And he was on his way back at the moment, so whatever he did, he could explain for himself.

"Tch." Kei stared at his phone in annoyance.

"Do you know for sure it's him and not some random number?"

Kei gave her an incredulous look, then sighed and punched a few buttons on his phone before holding up the screen for her to see. "It's a rough translation, but the phone translation software can only handle so much nuance."

 _Terushima:_ Hey megane-kun! How did the morning game go? It should be over now, right? You guys better have won! Keep playing for me, alright cutie?

Hermione struggled to keep a straight face. There were few people who would ever dare to call her cousin 'cutie,' but apparently this Terushima was one of them. Wait… "You already had his number saved." The number wasn't unknown, but next to a contact name.

Kei refused to look at her. "It seemed foolish to get rid of the number without thinking over it, first."

"You kept his number. Not only did you keep it, you _saved_ it. You were already planning on texting him, weren't you?"

 _Kei saved the Johzenji guy's number._

Amusement filled the bond. _Did he now?_

"No!" Kei gave her a sharp glare. "I just thought it would be a waste to get rid of it before I had a chance to think about it with a clear mind. That's all."

 _Yes, but he doesn't seem like he's going to do anything with it._

 _Well that certainly won't do. I'm in the gym, be there soon._

"Right." Hermione raised an eyebrow, entirely skeptical of her cousin's denial. She smirked when she felt Tetsurou approaching them, mischief floating across the bond. "Are you going to respond?"

"No."

Hermione groaned, "Kei-kun, he asked you a question. Several, in fact. It would be rude not to respond."

"It is rude of him to insist on these nicknames when I told him to stop." He waved his phone around, clearly annoyed.

Any second now, and…

Kei's eyes widened when Tetsurou leaned over his shoulder and plucked the phone out of his hands. "Kuroo-senpai!" Kei glared at him before turning his glare on Hermione. "You could have told me he was coming."

She grinned, "Where's the fun in that?"

Yamaguchi stood behind Tetsurou, looking very much like he would rather be anywhere else at the moment.

"I hate you both." He held out his hand toward Tetsurou, "Give me my phone back, senpai."

"What's this? You haven't replied to someone, Tsukki? That's very rude of you."

Tetsurou began typing something. Kei's eyes widened and he lunged for his phone, but with the chairs between them, Tetsurou dodged easily. He laughed, hiding behind Yamaguchi, who now looked terrified.

Hermione spared a look over her shoulder to see that the whole team was now openly gaping at the scene, along with a few of the Dateko boys that had been watching the match.

She sighed, then jumped when Tetsurou landed in the chair next to her and dropped the phone in her lap.

Kei quickly reached over her shoulder and snatched it up, then groaned behind her. "Why must you be like this."

Tetsurou tilted his head back with a smirk, "Because I'm a genuinely nice person."

"What the heck? No." Kei glared at him, then jumped over the chairs to return to his seat.

Yamaguchi cautiously took the chair next to Kei, and the team shifted to look back at the game now that the show was seemingly over.

Not quite daring to bring the topic up out loud since Kei was fuming next to her, Hermione reached out with her thoughts, _What did you send Terushima-san?_

 _Hi, it's me, the guy who gave you his number. They won, but he's still being a dick and won't text you. He's totally saved your number on his phone, though, so keep trying._

Hermione started giggling, receiving a betrayed glare from her cousin next to her.

Then the Dateko boys all groaned in unison and Karasuno all become tense. Hermione looked to the court. The number '25' flipped on the scoreboard.

Aoba Johsai had won.

* * *

A/N:

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: Glad you enjoyed the Tsukki action! There will be some more coming ;)


	21. Aoba Johsai

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione groaned as the Aoba Johsai cheer squad let out another deafening chant. They had just scored another point, so Hermione dutifully wrote down the details in her notebook. She wasn't exactly sure how these notes would help Nekoma, but Tetsurou insisted they would. One thing was for sure, though, when it came to team support, Aoba Johsai definitely beat Karasuno. Their measly group of seven and the scattered people behind them could never hope to equal the other school's cheers.

Tetsurou grinned at her exasperation, "Most power schools have a cheer group like this. Karasuno used to, and Nekoma's got one." His mood shifted to become more mischievous, "A bunch of people all cheering for yours truly."

"Ugh." Hermione shook her head at his antics. "That sounds horrible. Why would someone want to do that?"

"Oi!" He placed his hand on his heart, dramatically keeling over the bleacher railing. "I'm wounded. Mortally wounded. You wouldn't cheer for me, Mio?"

" _I_ would, I'm obligated to do so. I just don't know why anyone else would."

He straightened up only to subsequently flop back into the chair, eyes focused on the court as the volleyball went back and forth. "I'm the captain, you know. That gets me plenty of cheers."

"Mmmhmmm. I'm sure. Yamamoto-san's the ace though, right? And then there's Yaku-san's receives. They're the ones that should really get cheers." She sighed and shook her head, "I bet people just cheer for you because of your looks."

"Oi!" He glanced away from the game to glare at her. "It's more than that and you know it, but I'll take what compliments I can get."

Hermione laughed and turned her attention back to the court. It was toward the end of the second set, and although Karasuno had won the first set, Aoba Johsai was far in the lead at the moment.

Yamaguchi was standing at the edge of the court, though, nervously holding up Hinata's #10.

"I thought you gave Yamaguchi a pep talk?"

"I did! It was a great talk. Not my fault the boy is constantly nervous."

Hermione frowned, "Don't make fun of Yamaguchi." He may get nervous easily, but he was so sweet you couldn't help but love him.

Tetsurou's exasperation trickled across their bond, "Protectiveness runs in the family, then."

"Oh, shut up. Like you're one to talk."

The whistle blew for Yamaguchi's serve to begin.

Yamaguchi stood there for a second, then tossed the ball up. He took a step, jumping to hit it with the palm of his hand.

It sailed over the net…. Right toward the libero. Hermione bit her lip. The receiver called 'out,' but at the last minute, the ball dropped down, landing right inside the corner of the court.

Karasuno erupted.

Hermione marked down Yamaguchi's successful serve in her notes, proud of her friend.

Tetsurou was grinning next to her, "There you go. He'll be fine, now. He's gotten the taste of success against a powerhouse team."

The whistle blew again.

Yamaguchi tossed the ball and jumped to serve it, this time sending it straight at #16, just like

Sugawara had done.

#16 bent down to receive it, but the serve dropped again, causing the ball to ricochet off of his arms and out-of-bounds.

Another point. Hermione marked it in her notebook, but kept her eyes on the game.

Aoba Johsai received it. Their captain set to the vice captain, who spiked it straight at Yamaguchi. Hermione winced as the ball hit Yamaguchi's shoulder hard, knocking him to the ground. But it went up, and Kageyama quickly set it to Kei, who scored despite the blockers in front of him.

Aoba Johsai called a time out.

Tetsurou let out a whistle. "Man, he's nasty when he's fighting for a friend."

Hermione nodded. Kei had just done a wipe, like the one's the Wakunan captain had been doing that morning. "Kei-kun's never done that before, right?"

"Not that I've seen, though he sure got to analyze plenty of them this morning. He did the easiest kind, but it's still ridiculous that he went for it. Thought he'd just bump it over the blockers like he's done before, but apparently they got him ticked off."

Hermione smiled, yes, cornering or insulting Yamaguchi was probably the quickest way to make Kei lose his cool. She glanced at her soulmate, who was watching the court avidly. She had no doubt that Tetsurou had just filed away that information, as well.

Hermione glared at Tetsurou, "Are you here to root for them or scheme against them?" She was taking notes at his request, and sometimes he seemed far more interested in analyzing Karasuno's weaknesses than supporting her cousin's team.

Tetsurou's answering grin was full of mischief, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, my love."

She whacked his shoulder, ignoring the subsequent pain in her own.

"At least try to act supportive!"

"I am! I encouraged Tsukki's romantic interests."

"How is that supporting him in volleyball?"

"The other guy also plays volleyball?"

Hermione crossed her arms, "You're ridiculous."

"You and your cousin say the sweetest things."

She groaned, "Kei-kun understands that complimenting you goes to your head way too quickly."

"Tsukki's just a prick."

"Jerk."

She hoped he didn't get the chance to use this new knowledge against Kei, if the two teams ever got to play a real match against one another.

The players came back to the court as the time out ended, this time with three Aoba Johsai players positioned in the back to receive the serve.

Yamaguchi aimed his serve at the net, with it barely toppling over onto the other side. The players, who had backed up because of his earlier serves, weren't able to reach it in time.

Another point for Karasuno.

They were tied with Aoba Johsai, now. 23/23.

Yamaguchi served again, this time, though the libero yelled out that the ball was his and the other players backed away to give him space. Kei jumped up to block the spiker, calling out a one-touch, and tanaka quickly sent it to Kageyama, who set it to Azumane. The ace's powerful spike rebounded it off the blockers' hands.

Another point for Karasuno, which meant they were on match point, now. One more and they would win.

"One more, Yamaguchi!" Hermione yelled over the rail, cheering on her friend.

It looked like the setter was going to give the ball to the center spiker, but it became a back attack from the vice-captain, and Kei's block was a second too late. The ball hit his arm, but the receive went awry and it flew out-of-bounds.

Tetsurou shook his head, "I can practically hear Tsukki's 'tch' of annoyance from up here."

Hermione giggled. "Yamaguchi did well, though. Karasuno's tide at 24-24."

"Unbelievable. They were 4 points behind when Yamaguchi subbed in."

Hermione grinned.

As the remaining points went back and forth, though, she began to wonder if her nerves could take this.

Quidditch was nowhere near this intense. She had just watched Ron whenever the balls got too close to the goal rings, and kept an eye on Harry in case he started going after the snitch.

For the most part, though, she had been able to read in peace.

Now, though, in order to appreciate the moves Kei and Tetsurou made, she had to watch the whole team and pay attention to every point.

It was exhausting.

Hermione groaned when the score reached 26-26 and it was Oikawa's turn to serve. The team barely received his serves.

Tetsurou frowned next to her, confirming that this was, indeed, a bad situation.

Hermione blinked in shock at the speed the ball came hurtling over the net. Tetsurou let out a whistle, "That's a hard serve to receive; Sawamura did well."

She blinked as the ball flew over the net; Nishinoya lunged to receive it, but the receive went awry and the ball flew out.

Oikawa's grin was vicious as he straightened up after his serve.

Tetsurou felt…appreciative? Excited? She looked over to see him grinning, that same vicious glint in his own eyes as was in Oikawa's. "Man that would be fun to receive. To wipe that smile off his face and show him what a _good_ receiver can do with a serve like that."

Hermione groaned. "Must you be this way?"

His answering grin was entirely too cocky. "Volleyball is all about receiving, in the end. They can attack all they want, but if the ball never hits the ground, they won't get any points."

Aoba Johsai was now at set point.

Hermione groaned and put a hand over her heart, "This match is way too intense."

Disbelief flooded the bond. "What are you talking about? This is awesome." Tetsurou grinned at her, genuine excitement filling their bond.

Oikawa tossed the ball up once more and hit it hard, but Daichi managed to get the ball in the air. Azumane spiked it over the net, but it was soon coming back. The vice captain jumped to spike… and it hit the ground on Karasuno's side of the court.

Aoba Johsai had taken the second set.

Tetsurou let out a huge exhale next to her, and she could feel the tension leave his body. "Well, that set was actually a lot closer that it looked like it would be at the beginning, and they still have one more."

"But Yamaguchi's serves won't be a surprise anymore."

"No." Tetsurou shrugged, "Karasuno always pulls out some new thing, though. So I'm sure they'll do something to throw off Aoba Johsai."

Hermione played with the edge of Kei's jacket nervously. That wasn't exactly reassuring.

The third set didn't start well, with Oikawa getting two points right from the beginning with two serves. Thankfully, they stopped the serve the third time.

Hermione tried to take the best notes she could as the match went back and forth, each side refusing to let the other achieve a two point lead.

As Aoba Johsai took a time out, though, she felt a spike of mischief next to her. She glanced over and Tetsurou was fiddling with his phone, texting someone.

"What are you doing?"

"Texting."

"In the middle of a match?" She stared at him incredulously, but he didn't say anything else, just kept typing on his phone. Hermione sighed, "Let me rephrase, why are you feeling so mischievous?"

Tetsurou froze. He looked up cautiously, "I think you'd approve?"

"But you're not sure."

He shrugged and hit send on the text. "I'm texting Johzenji-kun." Hermione's eyebrow twitched.

"Kei-kun won't like that."

"I do things that make him mad all the time, what's one more?"

"Eh?" Akiteru leaned forward from behind them, poking his head between the two of them.

"What would make Kei mad?"

Hermione bit her lip. Yachi didn't look like she was paying attention, and she was the only other person who had decent English…. And she was sure Akiteru would support his brother's sexuality… She sighed and leaned forward to whisper in Akiteru's ear, "Kei has a crush on a guy he played yesterday. We ran into him afterwards and Tetsurou has his number. Apparently he's texting him."

Akiteru's eyes widened. "What?!" He hissed, "He's admitted this?"

Hermione shrugged, "well, no, but kinda? In his own way. He staunchly refused it but still was saying—" her voice quieted "that he's attractive and a challenge to play against."

Akiteru sat back in shock. "I never thought the day would come."

"Nani, nani?" Saeko was looking between them all, but Akiteru just shook his head. "Gomen." He added another apology, something about his family. That this was a family matter? Whatever it was, Saeko at least went back to watching the teams debrief.

"What did you text this guy?" Akiteru was leaning forward again, looking expectantly at Tetsurou's phone.

"Just his favorite food and stuff. You should have seen it, man. Tsukki was so flustered."

"My brother? Flustered?"

"Hai." Hermione nodded, then whispered, "the guy was very forward with him. Kei-kun insulted him, but he just bantered right back, turning it into flirting."

Akiteru grinned, "It's good that he can stand up to Kei, but…" his grin faltered, "is he a good guy?"

Tetsurou shrugged, "He's team captain, so that has to say something, right?"

"I suppose…"

"We're going to leave this up to him." Hermione looked sternly at her soulmate, "Right, Tetsurou?"

He held up his hands defensively, "He has yet to say no to him, right? I'm just giving some pointers."

"Right."

"You supported this yesterday!"

"I just… He… he didn't know that about himself, and was so uncertain... I don't want to rush him or anything."

Tetsurou rolled his eyes, "You can't rush this kid with anything. We can help and tease forever, but he won't do anything he doesn't want to. And he'll let us know if it really upsets him or he'll say no if he really doesn't want this. He hasn't done either."

"That's true."

Hermione bit her lip. The time out was over, now, and she turned her attention back to the game and cheered as Kei blocked one of 16's spikes, forcing it straight down to the ground.

16 was fuming, now, and quickly pulled out by the coach.

Tetsurou's phone buzzed again. She glared at him. "We're leaving this up to Kei-kun."

"Of course! Like I said, I'm just helping the guy."

Hermione sighed. Akiteru was still looking over Tetsurou's shoulder. He suddenly blushed and sat back in his chair, distancing himself from the phone. "I did NOT need to see someone ask that question about my little brother."

Tetsurou cackled. "Not like I know the answer to that kind of thing, either."

Hermione groaned, "Do I even want to know?"

The bond was overflowing with mischief as Tetsurou looked over at her, "I would tell you, but you'd probably destroy my phone and try to prevent Tsukki from ever seeing the guy again, so no."

"It's that bad?"

"He's just forward. You know that already."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Tetsurou honestly hadn't seemed alarmed by anything he'd received, and she did trust her soulmate, so… "fine."

The score was 15-15 now, with Oikawa serving. Aoba Johsai got this point, but on the next serve Kei managed to once again block the ball and scored a point for Karasuno.

She cheered.

The next point, though, had Tetsurou laughing his head off and Akiteru shaking his head incredulously. Hermione looked between them, confused. Hinata had been really close to the net, sure, but that had let him spike the ball down to avoid receivers, and there hadn't been a wall to block him… so why were they reacting this way? She thought it had been a good move.

Tetsurou brushed a tear from his eye, "Man chibi-chan and that setter do some crazy moves. Kenma's gonna hate that one. I can just picture his annoyed face now. Of course, we're better at setting up a block than Aoba Johsai is, so it won't work as well with us."

Hermione shook her head, "So it's an unusual move?"

"Yeah, you risk a net foul, for starters, but also because, like Kuroo-san mentioned, usually there are people blocking. It only works here because Hinata's so fast teams often don't put blockers on him or just use one."

Hermione frowned and wrote down a full description of what had happened, barely registering Saeko and Akiteru talking in rapid Japanese behind her.

She turned her attention back to the court, only to freeze when Tetsurou's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Can we do the cliché arm over the shoulders thing?"

This kind of public affection was… new. But not unwelcome, exactly. It felt…nice? Warm, at least. Comforting. "Sure, I suppose." Hermione tried to gather her thoughts that were currently tumbling around in a mess of emotions. No one had ever even tried to do this before. "Though it would have been more cliché if you had moved your arm while stretching."

"I mean, I could, but you wouldn't really be able to see the stretch very well, so it would have been a wasted effort on my part."

Hermione turned bright red.

Ignore him. Just ignore him and pay attention to the game.

18-18 now, and Aoba Johsai was calling out their own pinch server.

Hermione focused on her notes, trying not to think about the warm arm behind her shoulders or the mischief and excitement that were circling through her soulmate.

She carefully noted at what point in the game Ukai sent Yamaguchi to serve, and the two points Yamaguchi subsequently won. Then when Sugawara subbed, she did the same.

Of course, she was much tenser when Sugawara came onto the court. Karasuno was almost at set point. The pressure on the vice-captain must be immense.

Sugawara's first serve as aimed at the opposing team's vice-captain, forcing the spiker to be in an awkward position if he wanted to attack. The setter then sent the ball to #16, but…

Hermione blinked.

Tetsurou burst out laughing next to her.

"Did Hinata-san just… block the ball?"

"More like threw himself at it, but technically, yes, he blocked it. Don't think shrimpy's done that before."

Hermione made sure to mark that down in her notes.

Sugawara's next serve targeted the other vice captain once more, then received the ball after Aoba Johsai spiked it toward Karasuno. The Karasuno team all began to move to set up a synchro attack, but Kageyama didn't set to any of them.

He hit the ball over the net himself, leaving all five spikers jumping at nothing.

A dump.

At this point in the game.

Aoba Johsai called a time out.

"That's… not a usual move, right?" She could feel Tetsurou's incredulousness over the bond.

"Few setters have the guts to do a dump at this point in the game." He groaned, "This is why Kageyama is so annoying to play against. He pulls idiotic stunts like this that no one else would ever do."

"But they're at set point now."

"Yeah, yeah they are."

Hermione leaned back in her chair. She hadn't realized it, but apparently she'd been slowly leaning forward. Tetsurou's arm was still resting along the back of the chair, and she blushed as his hand moved forward to rest on her shoulder.

"This ok?"

"Yes!" Hermione's blush deepened at the suddenness of her response. "It's fine."

Contentment flowed across the bond.

"Do you think Karasuno will win?" They had reached set point, but with Aoba Johsai this close behind them, Hermione felt like nothing was guaranteed.

Tetsurou shrugged, "Most likely, but who knows."

The teams were coming back onto the court.

Sugawara served again, keeping his target on the other vice captain. Tanaka barely managed to receive #16's spike, but he did, and then Karasuno did another synchronized attack, this time with Sugawara setting to Azumane. Hermione felt her whole body tense as the ball went back and forth, and she could tell Tetsurou was tense beside her, as well.

Aoba Johsai received Azumane's spike, but the ball flew out of bounds, but the captain was still running after it…. Hermione's eyes widened and Tetsurou whistled next to her as the setter sent the ball flying toward Aoba Johsai's vice captain.

Sawamura managed to receive the spike, but it was off, and Azumane had to spike from the very back of the court, rather than close to the net. He pulled it off, though!

Hermione groaned when the libero received the ball and #16 hit it over. Her hand tightened around her notebook. How long would this go on? Would Karasuno get the point?

This time Kageyama spiked the ball directly, but it was blocked. Sugawara managed to receive the ball, though, sending it up into the air once more. Kageyama set the ball to Hinata, who spiked, narrowly avoiding the Aoba Johsai block.

The ball went spiraling past the blockers, grazed the Aoba Johsai captains arms, then thudded on the ground behind him.

Karasuno won.

Hermione hugged Tetsurou, ignoring the fact that they were in public. His arms wrapped around her as the team erupted into cheers.

"Just one team left, and then the Battle of the Garbage Dump might actually happen!"

Hermione laughed—her soulmate was so excited about the mere prospect of this match. "Nekoma will have to win, too."

"We will." They separated, and Hermione shook her head at the vicious gleam in her soulmate's eyes. "We'll beat everyone we have to in order to make it happen."

"Including Bokuto and Akaashi?"

"Of course." He turned to grin at her, "Those owls won't know what hit them."

Hermione shook her head, then turned to watch as the two teams shook hands. She applauded the team again when they came over to the Karasuno banner to thank them for their support.

Kei was once again displeased by his brother's presence, but he really should have expected it.

As the team filed away, Hermione and the others walked toward the stairs to exit the bleachers. "Go ahead and meet up with the team, I need to use the restroom."

"Sure. They'll probably be heading to the buses pretty quickly." Hermione nodded, then followed the restroom sign that she'd seen pointing around the corner.

She was thankful that there wasn't a line, despite the vast number of girls that had been cheering for the other team. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a bunch of girls crying because their crush and idol lost.

Hermione went about her business, then fled the bathroom as quickly as she could—and ran straight into someone.

"Gomen!" Hermione looked up to see the tall setter from Aoba Johsai.

Bloody hell, could it have been anyone worse? And she _had_ to be wearing Kei's jacket.

"Sumimasen." She made to walk around him, but his hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Matte! Karasuno-san!" She glared at his hand and he released her, holding his hands up defensively. Then he rattled something off in Japanese. Something about Karasuno.

Hermione sighed in annoyance. "Gomen. Nihongo-o hanasemasen." She noticed the vice-captain was behind him, leaning against the wall. Had they been waiting on someone? The men's restroom was right next door, so it was possible.

The two blinked at her in surprise while Hermione fidgeted. Why did the setter even want to talk to her?

"English?" His accent wasn't _too_ bad, but it was nowhere near the fluency she'd become accustomed to from the wizards and her family. Hermione nodded warily, whatever animosity the boy had first held now seemed to be fading into curiosity. She hoped he didn't speak English well.

"Why were you cheering for Karasuno if you can't speak Japanese?" Of course he knew the language well enough to have a conversation. Just her luck.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at what he'd said. It wasn't like the sport changed across countries or she needed a translator to know who was doing better. Nevertheless, she did understand that it was odd for a foreigner to be at a high school volleyball match. "Tsukishima-san is my cousin." Not that she owed him information, but maybe he would let her slip away once he got bored.

The boy appeared to be thinking for a moment. "Megane-kun?" He looked her up and down, "Is the jacket his?"

"Hai." Hermione shifted her weight, trying to think of a polite way to leave the conversation. He was harmless at the moment, but she really did want to get back to Tetsurou and the team.

"I'm glad it's from family and not from a boyfriend." He winked at her. Bloody hell, how did she end up in this mess. She just wanted to get back to the team and Tetsurou.

 _What's taking you so long?_

She smiled slightly. Speak of the devil. Or think of him in this case?

She sent a reply down their bond. _The Aoba Johsai setter stopped me in the hallway._

 _I'm coming._

Hermione groaned internally. There was no need for that, but she could hardly stop him. She returned her attention to the setter, who was watching her critically. The spiker was now wearing a put-upon expression.

"You know, you're kinda cute."

Hermione sputtered, "What?" Seriously, was that his idea of flirting? That she was 'kind of' cute? And why would he flirt with somewhat affiliated with an opposing team? Was this his twisted idea of revenge?

"Your smile is cute. I'm glad you're not like your cousin, who frowns all the time." Hermione felt Tetsurou coming closer. This would not go well. Please let him be alone and not with Kei.

"I'm not interested." The spiker on the wall started snickering while the setter just looked affronted.

"Aw, don't be shy." Oikawa smiled at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. As if she couldn't tell that his smile was fake. "If you're going to fake a smile, you could at least do it convincingly." The spiker's snickering was getting louder.

"What do you mean?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but decided not to respond and instead started to turn and leave. It would be best if she left before Tetsurou arrived, anyway.

"Wait! At least tell me your name, Karasuno-san."

"Why should I? You haven't given me yours." And he reminded her way too much of Lockhart with all of his fake smiling.

"You don't know?" The setter blinked in honest surprise, then smiled brightly at her. "I'm Oikawa Toru."

"Thanks for the name, I'll be sure to mention it when I complain to the team."

He clicked his tongue in frustration. "For a pretty girl, you have quite the sharp tongue." So a girl can't be pretty and sharp-witted? What the heck? Tetsurou was in the hallway now, and Hermione was ticked enough that she'd let him make whatever scene he wanted.

Not a second later, she felt Tetsurou's arm slide around her waist. "The sharp criticisms mean she's not interested in you, dumbass." Tetsurou was smirking at the other captain.

"Hmph." The setter looked between the two of them. "Well obviously if she likes someone who is clearly a ruffian, it can't be helped."

Hermione's eyebrow twitched.

Tetsurou held out his hand, his grin sharp. "Kuroo Tetsurou, captain of the Nekoma volleyball team."

"Nekoma? That's a Tokyo school." Oikawa's expression shifted slightly as he realized Tetsurou was a rival player, not just a random schoolboy from Karasuno. He shook Tetsurou's hand. "Oikawa Toru. Yoroshiku."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same." Tetsurou smirked at him as he withdrew his hand. Oikawa glared at the two of them.

"Well. I suppose if you're both rude, you're the perfect couple."

"You're the one who stopped me in the hallway and tried to flirt with me, Oikawa-san. You didn't even ask if I was single."

"Hmph." Oikawa frowned at the two of them. "Come on Iwa-chan, let's go."

"I'd say see you at nationals, but you aren't going, are you?"

Hermione winced, that line was a bit low. The setter turned around to glare at Tetsurou. "Tokyo preliminaries haven't been held yet, so it's not like you know you will be!"

Tetsurou shrugged, his smirk casual, "It's only a matter of time, for us."

"Right." Oikawa rolled his eyes. "I'll see you at nationals then, Kuroo-san. We'll both be in the bleachers watching everyone else play." With that he turned around and marched off.

Tetsurou just laughed. "Come on, Mio. Let's get back to Tsukki and the others."

Hermione sighed, "That's what I've been trying to do this whole time."

"Well obviously a pretty girl like you is just irresistible to these lowlifes, and you need my charming company to dissuade them."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Tetsurou."

"I will, thanks." Hermione rolled her eyes, but still slipped her hand into his as they walked down the hallway and did her best to ignore the occasionally scandalized look thrown at their joint hands.

* * *

A/N:

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Y'all's reviews always make me so happy.

BrownEyesAngel: a little bit of Hermione/Kuroo in this chapter ;) As much as I love Nekoma and Kuroo, though, the Haikyuu plotline actually centers around Tsukki's team, so whenever I dip into the show's actual plot the focus is bound to become a bit more centered on Tsukki. He's awesome, though, so it works.

PersonallyImpersonal: :D :D I have fun with making all three of them similar in that way. Glad you picked up on the family resemblance!

And yeah, I see what you mean. It's hard bc Hermione doesn't know too much about Volleyball, yet, so she's not going to be following a play-by-play, just the big moments, but those can kinda look the same. Plus I'm basically condensing two seasons into four chapters, lol.

NYFanFic: Glad to know you're still reading and enjoying the fic!


	22. Shiratorizawa

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Tetsurou was vibrating with excitement next to her.

Kei had been doing really well this match, and her soulmate kept exclaiming things like, 'That's my kouhai!' and 'gah, he's so freaking persistent it's great.'

All of these remarks amused Akiteru, who was quick to respond with, "I taught him that" or "he learned that from me, not you, Kuroo-san."

Karasuno was now locked in a deuce with Shiratorizawa in the second set, and Hermione was nervous. They needed to win this set. Everyone was giving it their all, but they couldn't seem to get the necessary two-point lead to win.

And then it happened.

Kei blocked Ushijima's spike.

Hermione started cheering for her cousin but was drowned out by the two boys on either side of her. She thought Akiteru might actually be crying in happiness and pride.

"That's how you do it, Tsukki!" Tetsurou was leaning over the rails, yelling at Kei, who was entirely oblivious to them as he was currently underneath a Karasuno dog pile.

Hermione grinned. Kei had good friends, though he was no doubt fussing at them because of the attention.

All too soon, though the next set started. She gripped Tetsurou's hand as the third and fourth set flew by, with Shiratorizawa and Karasuno each taking one. Tetsurou seemed highly entertained by Hinata's method of blocking by throwing himself at the ball, snickering to himself about how Bokuto would approve.

"But you don't?

He shrugged, "I mean, it's sloppy and only works because his teammates help him. Yeah, it's great that his teammates are there for him, but if he could do better on his own that would free them up to focus on other things."

As the match progressed, it became increasingly obvious that Kei was the cornerstone of the Karasuno blockers, and Hermione couldn't be prouder of her prickly cousin.

She was dismayed when the out-of-bounds ruling for Ushijima's spike was overruled, but her attention quickly zeroed in on her cousin.

Kei's eyes had stopped following the ball.

Her feet started moving on their own accord, watching her cousin's face as it clouded in pain. She could hear Tetsurou and Akiteru footsteps descending the bleachers' stairs behind her.

She would fix this, somehow. What good was having a witch for a cousin if all it did was get him injured?

"Kei-kun!" She could see him and Shimizu down the hallway, presumably heading for the hurse's station.

Kei turned toward her voice, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Nee-san. Tetsurou-senpai." His eyebrow twitched as he saw Akiteru next to them. "I thought I told you not to come, niichan."

"So they can watch you, but I can't?"

"You wouldn't let me watch your matches."

"Well I had to come see you fight bravely, didn't I?" Akiteru grinned at his brother.

Hermione ignored their banter and turned to Shimizu, "I can handle it from here, Shimizu-san. You can go back to the game." Shimizu looked uncertain, so Hermione pressed on, "You never know if they might need you for something else." Thankfully, that seemed to work. Shimizu nodded, at least.

She turned toward Kei, "Don't worry, Tsukishima-san. You won't be going back just to see them lose." Kei nodded, and Shimizu ran back toward the gym.

Hermione immediately grabbed Kei's arm and pulled him around the corner. "Tetsurou, Akiteru, shield us from view." She pulled out her wand, casting a notice-me-not first, just to be safe, then a diagnostic charm. A dislocation. She quickly fixed that, but the muscles would have to stay sprained, at least until after the doctor had seen them.

"Come on, Kei, there's no way he won't let you back into the game, now, but it will be too suspicious if we don't go to the medical room at all. I'll let him see this and then fix it completely after the doctor's seen it."

"Arigatou, neesan." They started jogging toward the nurse's station.

"Sheesh, you're lucky she's your cousin, kid."

"Shut up, Kuroo-senpai. It's not like you're that much older than me."

"Ah, you'll understand in two years."

"Tch." Kei looked off to the side, still cradling his injured hand as they walked. "If you're so much wiser, do you have any ideas about blocking Ushijima?"

"Aw, coming to me for advice, kouhai?" Tetsurou smirked and shot Akiteru a triumphant look, though the older Tsukishima just rolled his eyes.

Kei refused to look at Tetsurou, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him. "I'll deny this entire conversation later if you tell anyone."

"Hai, hai." Tetsurou cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. "You've done a good job fraying the setter's nerves, and Ushijima has to be running low on stamina, so keep acting on that."

"Any advice that's not obvious."

Tetsurou sighed, "You've established patterns, right? You've gotten used to their movements, so they've gotten used to yours, too. Do something different, anything, even if it's just moving to different positions. Switch it up when they least expect it. And don't forget that setter likes to time dumps just like Kageyama does."

Kei nodded, but didn't respond since they'd reached the medical station. Hermione fidgeted impatiently while the doctor diagnosed Kei. Everything was so much quicker with magic. She disliked the way that the tape would limit his mobility, but there wasn't much she could do about that, not when everyone had seen the injury.

The second they were outside the office, though, Hermione healed the hand completely, removing all the pain.

"Arigatou." Kei gingerly stretched the fingers out as best as he could with the tape.

"If you can, remember to act like you're still in pain. If that's too much to focus on, though, blame your lack of awareness on an adrenalin rush."

Kei nodded in understanding, then took off at a run back toward the gym.

"And to think, he used to question why people liked the sport." Tetsurou shook his head, his hands in his pockets as he walked back to the gym. He stopped after a few steps. "Tch. The brat never thanked me for my advice."

Hermione giggled, "I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to scold him about that later, Tetsu." She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, walking side by side with him.

Akiteru sighed. "I really hope they win this match."

"They will." Hermione didn't know how, but she knew for certain that they would. The opposite fate just wasn't imaginable for the team.

Tetsurou glanced sideways at her, "You told me you sucked at divination."

Hermione snorted. "It's not divination. I just know Karasuno is more determined for victory than Shiratorizawa."

"Oh, so legilimancy?" Hermione whacked his shoulder.

"Just shut up, Tetsurou."

"You going to make me, love?"

Hermione glared at her soulmate, but he just smirked wider. "You're just so adorable when riled up, I can't help it." Akiteru groaned next to them, but Tetsurou ignored him. "Does a Karasuno victory count as a special moment?"

"Not if you keep acting like this."

He held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Alright, I'll behave." He opened the gym doors for her while Akiteru laughed at them.

The match was still going on, and Kei was just now walking onto the court, switching places with Narita. Hermione's eyes quickly darted toward the scoreboard.

Match point.

Hermione quickly followed Akiteru back into the stands and found her old seat. Kei was talking to his teammates, planning something, and then the whole team split up. Tetsurou smirked when Kageyama and Hinata switched places, then laughed in delight when the three blockers blocked off Ushijima's path for a straight, forcing him to make an angled shot.

"Tsukki's freaking brilliant."

Karasuno received the ball and rallied for an attack. Hinata spiked and the ball hit the opposing player's hand, then…it went out.

Hermione's eyes widened as happiness flooded her, both from Tetsurou and herself.

Kei had won.

They jumped up to cheer, along with everyone around them.

Hermione laughed in happiness, then turned to Tetsurou, "You're never going to let him live down taking your advice, are you?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Tetsurou smirked at her. "My advice was pretty vague, though. That plan was all Tsukki." He grinned. "One step closer to the Battle at the Garbage Dump."

"Think you and Kenma-san can uphold your side?"

Their bond was filled with his confidence. "I know we can."

Hermione's throat went dry. Merlin he was attractive. He just looked so confident and mischievous and… his grin turned slowly into a smirk. She felt his hand on her waist, pulling her closer, then his lips against the top of her head.

Hermione turned bright red.

"As long as you're cheering for me, Mio, how could I lose?"

"Tetsurou…" Hermione groaned, hiding her face against his chest. "That was so cheesy."

She felt his laughter reverberate throughout his chest.

"OI!" Hermione peeked out from Tetsurou's shirt to see Saeko pointing at them and rattling off something in rapid Japanese to Akiteru.

Akiteru's face was rapidly reddening and he was already rubbing the back of his neck and refusing to make eye contact with Saeko.

Hermione looked back at Tetsurou to see if she could gather anything from his reaction, but all she could find in both his face and their bond was amusement. em _What's going on?_ /em

em _Apparently she doesn't like that we're being romantic when she doesn't have any partner, so she's demanded Akiteru go on a date with her._ /em

Hermione's eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. Akiteru sent her a betrayed look, but she just grinned at him, "You should do it. It's just one date, right?"

"Kei would kill me! He doesn't get along with her brother! It's obvious from the court!"

Hermione sighed, "You can't let Kei-kun decide who you date, Akiteru."

He groaned, "Have you seen Kei when he's really angry? I hate dealing with that."

"It's just a date. He won't be em _that_ /em angry."

"But…." Akiteru looked back and forth between them, then his shoulders sagged. "Fine." He muttered something in Japanese to Saeko, and she let out a loud cheer. The two older alumni both looked depressed.

Akiteru turned back to Hermione, "You get to tell Kei, though."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Are you sure you're the older brother, Akiteru?"

"Shut up."

Hermione blushed as Tetsurou wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. This was… a lot. It was nice. Really nice. But they were definitely receiving dirty looks from the old man sitting a few rows back.

"Leave him alone, Mio. It's perfectly reasonable to be scared of Tsukki. Especially when all it takes is a slice of cake to calm the guy down."

"That doesn't always work, ok!" Akiteru was glaring at them both now, but Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

As her cousin gave them one last glare before dismissing them to exchange phone numbers with Saeko, Hermione leaned back against Tetsurou's chest, closing her eyes to block out the scandalized looks.

She could stay in his arms forever, surrounded by his presence, with his magic and emotions swirling through their bond.

"Shall we congratulate the victors, love?"

Hermione hummed in agreement. They should, but she really didn't want to move at the moment.

There was a soft chuckle behind her, "Karasuno's coming this way to thank the audience, Mio. You should at least turn that way and acknowledge them."

She cracked open one eye. The team was indeed heading this way, and Kei's eyebrow was already twitching as he took in their current posture.

Hermione sighed, but gently turned herself in Tetsurou's arms so that she once again faced the gym. He laughed, switching positions so that now he only had one arm draped over her shoulder and was facing the team as well.

Hermione applauded for both of them as the team bowed and thanked them for their support. The students that had come to watch the match cheered loudly, the vice principal waving his wig around.

Karasuno was no longer a team of fallen crows.

* * *

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the match! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! :D

BrownEyesAngel: Glad you're enjoying the Tsukki action along with the Hermione/Kuroo spectating! Poor Hermione's got to adjust to diff cultural standards and being in a relationship in general, but she'll figure it out J


	23. Teddy Comes to Japan

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione fidgeted nervously in the international travel station as they waited for Teddy to come. Tetsurou was beside her, projecting calmness down their bond.

She hated this place.

Her hand sought out his, grasping it, assuring herself that he was there, he was next to her, he was fine, Bellatrix didn't have him.

They were fine.

The familiar _whoosh_ of a portkey distracted her, and Hermione spotted Teddy's bright pink hair before she took in the rest of his figure. He was wearing…overalls? With a cape? Well. That was certainly an odd choice.

Holding him, though, was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?!"

"Awntie!" Teddy's arms stretched out from Malfoy's grasp.

"Hello there, Teddy." She walked toward the two of them, still trying to figure out why in Merlin's name _Malfoy_ had come to drop him off. "You ready to have fun?"

The boy squealed, looking past her to where Tetsurou was standing as his hair already began to morph into Tetsurou's ridiculous style, though staying bright pink.

Hermione shook her head in amusement, then made eye contact with Malfoy. A very disgruntled Malfoy. She held out her hands, and Teddy was quickly deposited into them.

Malfoy grimaced. "Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted to do with my morning, but Theodore is my cousin and it's nice to have Harry Potter of all people owe me a favor."

"Right." Hermione shook her head. "And the Weasleys or Longbottoms couldn't bring him because...?"

Tetsurou held out his hand for Teddy's luggage, and Malfoy quickly passed it to him as he answered her. "They're old women, Granger, and international portkey travelling is draining on one's core. Plus the brat has already exhausted them with his actions."

Hermione frowned. She had been a little bit tired after their international portkey, but it hadn't been too bad. And it wasn't like there weren't tons of people clamoring to help with Teddy. Hermione winced as Teddy began pulling on her hair, and she gently pulled his hand away.

"As for our peers, Longbottom is working with Sprout, Lovegood is hunting down some imaginary creature, and the Weasleys all have work. I, unfortunately, am not in the auror corps because I haven't taken my Newts, but also not in classes because I've already taken those, so I was free to drop off my cousin." He smirked, "And I figured it was an easy way to get permission to come here and explore what wizarding Japan has to offer."

"Right." Malfoy wanted to explore wizarding Japan. A society that was pointedly NOT prejudiced against muggleborns or creatures. "Well. Have fun."

"Now, now, Mio." She felt Tetsurou's hand rest on her shoulder. "The guy did get hurt helping us. The least we could do is see if one of the Akaashi's could be his tour guide." _And let them keep an eye on him since we'll be busy with Teddy._

Malfoy's eyebrow rose. "That would be generous of you, but I'm sure I can find my own way around. I've already done some research."

"We insist." Tetsurou's smirk was sharp, challenging Malfoy to press the issue.

"I see. Well, thank you, then." Malfoy's answering smile was tight.

Hermione bit her lip. Coming with Teddy was certainly an indication that this wasn't an imposter, but she didn't want to leave him alone with one of the Akaashi's without double checking. "If you're going to be staying….Whose broom did you ride in the Room of Requirement?

"Really, Granger, this isn't the time for innuendo. There are little ears listening."

Hermione blushed bright red. "Malfoy!" That wasn't what she'd meant and he knew it!

The brat shrugged. "Harry's."

"Was that so hard?" Hermione glared at him.

Malfoy smirked, "I wouldn't say the task was _hard_ , no." Hermione turned bright red, but before she could yell at him for turning something else into an innuendo, he continued, "You were top of our class, Granger. I'd assume you'd be more precise with your language if you were asking a security question."

"Oh, shut up. You knew exactly what I meant."

Teddy tugged insistently on her curls again, and Hermione winced before gently extricating his little fingers from her hair. "We really should get Teddy to the Tsukishima's before we put you in touch with the Akaashis."

Tetsurou sighed next to her, "Malfoy, would you meet us back there? I'll ask Akaashi to send someone to meet us there."

"Of course." Malfoy nodded, then disapparated.

Hermione closed her eyes. They would need to apparate, as well, which meant there would be that momentary feeling of emptiness as they separated. She took a deep breath. "One."

"Two." Tetsurou gave her a reassuring smile.

"Three." She disapparated and tried her best to ignore both the nausea and momentary void.

Teddy squealed in her arms, clapping his hands together.

Hermione sighed and smiled at the boy's antics. "Glad you enjoyed it, Teddy-bear. How about we go inside and introduce you to my family?" She tried to ignore the fact that Malfoy was standing a few feet away from them, looking as if this was the last place he wanted to be.

Teddy wrinkled his forehead, but finally he nodded. Hermione smiled and began walking toward the back door. _You've got this, right Tetsurou?_

 _Of course. I can handle him. It's not like he's going to duel me or anything._

Hermione frowned. _Just be careful._ She didn't know what Malfoy's real motives were for being in Japan, but she doubted that it was just to sightsee.

 _I will, Mio, don't worry._

The second she was inside the door, Teddy wiggled and reached out toward the floor. "One moment, Teddy." She shifted to hold his weight on her hip, then cast scourgify on the floor to be safe. That done, she let him down.

He immediately crawled down the hallway, cape trailing behind him.

"Aunt Sara? Kei-kun?" As far as she knew, both of them should be home, though her uncle and Akiteru wouldn't be there until the evening.

There were familiar footfalls on the stairs, and soon Kei rounded the corner. "Mom went to get groceries. She didn't think you would be back so soon, though I told her you would be." He shrugged, then frowned, "Where's Kuroo-senpai?"

There was a burst of agitation across the bond, but it was quickly smoothed over. Hermione frowned. What had Malfoy said to set Tetsurou off? "Malfoy escorted Teddy here and wants to look around Japan. Tetsurou's trying to get one of the Akaashis to be his tourguide."

"Malfoy?" Kei frowned, "Why him?" He blinked, distracted as Teddy had crawled over to him and was now tugging at his pant leg. Hermione wasn't surprised when the black hair morphed into a light blonde.

Thankfully she'd remembered to inform her family about Teddy's abilities _before_ they met him, unlike with Tetsurou. "Malfoy is technically Teddy's second-cousin or something like that. Malfoy's mother and Teddy's grandmother were sisters, but that was before Teddy's grandmother was disowned for marrying a muggleborn."

Golden eyes narrowed, processing this information as Teddy tugged on his pants more insistently.

Hermione turned her attention to the boy, "Teddy, this is Uncle Kei. You can call him ojii-san like you call Uncle Tetsurou, alright?"

The cry of "Ojjjjiii" was accompanied by another harsh tug. Well, as harsh as the toddler could manage. Kei gave the boy an unsure smile, clearly out of his element.

Another flash of annoyance across the bond. Hermione looked worriedly toward the back door. Something was going on.

 _Tetsurou?_

 _I've got it. Don't worry. He's just a brat. Slughorn gave him a letter for me, and he doesn't appreciate acting like a post-owl._

A letter? That was odd, but Slughorn did like to maintain connections. And Malfoy didn't exactly get along with the potions professor.

Teddy had abandoned the pant leg and was now crawling in circles around Kei, who was still looking down at the child, bemused. Hermione sighed. She would have to trust Tetsurou; Kei would kill her if she left him alone with her godson. Hermione walked forward and knelt next to Teddy before picking him up, "Let's go to the living room, alright? There are toys there."

"Yea!" Well, apparently that was another word he knew. She wouldn't be surprised if 'no' was in his vocabulary as well.

Hermione struggled to hold the squirming child, but eventually the three of them made it to the living room, where a bin of toys had been gathered. There were some of Kei's dinosaurs (under the assurance that she would both fix and clean them if anything happened), some old toy cars and a yoyo from Akiteru, and some action figures from Tetsurou. Not exactly the best toys for toddlers, but it had been short notice.

Teddy picked up the cars and dinosaurs, clearly fascinated by them.

Hermione blinked.

Of course.

Teddy had never seen a car. And he likely didn't have books about dinosaurs, either. She sighed and knelt down, taking the car from him and pushing it with her hand across the carpet. She then gave it a small shove, letting it roll by itself for a bit.

"Can you say car, Teddy?" Hermione picked up the toy and held it out to him, "Car."

The boy frowned, scrunching his eyebrows together, "Gar."

She sighed, "Close enough, good job, Teddy."

"Gar, gar!" He whacked the toy in his excitement. She smiled and put it back down, giving it another push to send it rolling.

Teddy squealed with delight and crawled after it, then began pushing it around the room himself.

Kei sat on the couch with a sigh, his head resting in his hand as he watched the child. "How are we going to keep him entertained all weekend, nee-san? We barely have anything."

"We have enough, we'll manage. And if all else fails, there are always magic tricks."

Kei rolled his eyes. "Won't he have seen plenty of those already?"

Teddy burst into tears as the car rolled under the couch. Hermione sighed and summoned it back out. The car appeared to be moving on its own as her magic pulled it, which delighted him to no end.

He squealed eagerly and clapped his hands together as his hair began to turn red, the same color as the car. Hermione shook her head and used gentle summoning and banishing charms to make the car move around. At least it kept him occupied.

The back door banging shut caused all three of them to jump, startled. Teddy looked like he was about to cry at the noise, but Hermione caused the car to run into his leg, distracting him and making him smile again.

Tetsurou came into the room, and she could feel annoyance bubbling across his skin. "Tch. How on earth did you manage to go to school with him for six years without killing him?"

"I _did_ punch him that one time."

"It was glorious." Tetsurou smirked at her. Right. He'd seen that memory. Hermione could feel his amusement and arousal.

She blushed.

"You did what?" Kei was looking at her, startled, but she gave him a small smile and shook her head. She really didn't want to get into that, now. She shouldn't have mentioned it.

"What did Malfoy do, Tetsurou?" Now clearly wasn't the time for that story.

Tetsurou sighed and plopped onto the floor next to Teddy, letting the boy roll the car around him. "He knows that we suck at keeping telepathic communication secret and said he'd help us. Apparently he picked up the trick from his dad using legilimency on him so much as he grew up."

"Lovely."

"Yeah." Tetsurou rubbed the back of his neck, "He was an utter prick about the whole thing, though. It's clear he's only offering because he can use this as a way to make himself look better."

Hermione sighed, "Well, that's Malfoy for you."

Teddy bumped the car up against Tetsurou's leg, his hair morphing back to mimic her soulmate's. Tetsurou grinned at the boy and took the car from him, then began pushing it across the carpet in between them. "We're going to have fun this weekend, right, Teddy?"

Hermione smiled at Tetsurou as he began to play keep away with the car once more, always rolling it just out of Teddy's reach. Teddy giggled and tried to catch the car with uncoordinated movements.

"Legilimency is mind reading, right?" Kei was frowning in confusion, "Why would a father do that?"

Hermione sighed, "You know his aunt was Bellatrix, right? His father was, well, he was Voldemort's right-hand man. He wasn't as insane as Bellatrix, but I suppose that made him worse in some ways…I doubt Malfoy's childhood was a pleasant one." That didn't mean she could forgive him for everything that he'd done, though.

She closed her eyes. Malfoy hadn't killed Dumbledore. He hadn't told his father Harry's identity. He'd defended her uncle against Bellatrix.

He wasn't his father.

She didn't know what had motivated the Slytherin to those actions, though, and until she did she couldn't trust him.

Teddy huffed and stopped chasing the car, clearly fed up with Tetsurou's game. She laughed, then looked over to where Kei was still sitting on the couch. "Would you go get the bucket of rice we set up, Kei-kun?"

"Hai, hai." Kei stood up slowly and wandered into the kitchen.

Tetsurou raised an eyebrow. "Resorting to the bucket of rice already?"

Hermione shrugged, "He's so used to magical entertainment, I figured muggle games would be a nice change."

"What toys did you bury in there?"

"Just a few of Kei-kun's dinosaurs."

Tetsurou looked at the basket that sat in the middle of the room, already filled with dinosaurs. "How many of those things does he have?"

"Urusai, Kuroo-senpai." The bucket of rice landed with a thud next to Tetsurou as Kei glared at him.

Tetsurou smirked back and opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Teddy's squeal of delight as he plunged his hands into the rice bucket. "Ice, ice!"

Ice? Oh! Rice. "That's right, Teddy-bear, rice. There are some toys hidden in it for you. Try to find them, ok?"

The boy happily pushed his hands deeper, searching around the bucket.

Tetsurou rolled his eyes and leaned back, the car now forgotten on the carpet. "How's Brachium doing?"

"He's fine. I replaced the water in his tank yesterday and he enjoyed swimming around in it."

There was a happy squeal as Teddy began to pull something out of the rice, but then he lost his balance and fell backward.

Tears began to well up in his eyes as his hair slowly began to turn blue.

"It's ok, Teddy! It's ok!" Hermione helped the boy back up and gently drew his hands toward the rice. Teddy sniffled but started poking at the grains once more. Hermione smiled encouragingly and scooted up behind him, supporting him. "Let's try again. Can you find the dinosaur?"

Hands pushed into the rice, and Hermione was relieved to see his hair morph back to black.

"His hair is like a freaking mood ring."

Hermione laughed. "It really is." That was definitely a joke that most wizards back home would never understand.

Teddy let out another squeal, this time pulling out the dinosaur. He waved it around excitedly, then tottered over to show it to Kei.

Kei stared at the boy, confused eyes glancing toward Hermione.

She smiled and shook her head. And she thought she was bad with children. "Just talk to him, Kei-kun. It's not hard."

Kei slowly nodded. After a short pause, he looked back at Teddy, "Eto… that's a T-rex." Another long pause. "Can you say T-rex?"

"T-wek."

Kei bit his lip, "Close enough, good job. Eto…" Kei pointed at the figure's arms. "Do you see those short arms? It stands on its back legs, and it doesn't use his front arms much, so they're really short. But he has really sharp teeth, and it can chase down other dinosaurs…"

"T-wek!" Teddy waved the dinosaur in the air, then dropped it in Kei's lap.

He blinked.

Teddy crawled back to the bucket, plunging his hands in once more.

"Are you going to find another dinosaur, Teddy?"

Silence. Teddy just continued to swirl the rice around, smiling happily.

Tetsurou sighed. "We going to take the guy up on his offer or not?"

Right. Malfoy. "What, exactly, did he offer?"

"To help us multitask. Apparently Potter-san was right and occlumency does make it easier. You learn to compartmentalize your thoughts and respond to people while hiding your true reactions, so…" Tetsurou shrugged, "It would help a bit. Ultimately it comes down to practice, though."

"So he'd teach us the basics of occlumency and then we'd work on our own and see if people notice?"

"Pretty much."

Teddy squealed again, drawing their attention back to the one-year-old. He'd found another dinosaur. The boy waved it around, then began to crawl toward Kei, who sighed.

"I'll help the boy with the dinosaurs, you two figure out whatever it is you're talking about."

"Thank you, Kei-kun."

Her cousin nodded absentmindedly before slipping off of the chair and onto the carpet so that he could interact more easily with the toddler. Hermione turned back to Tetsurou, blocking out Kei as he tried (and failed) to get Teddy to pronounce pterodactyl.

"I don't want Malfoy in my head."

Tetsurou blinked. "Legilimency is necessary?"

"That's how Professor Snape taught Harry occlumency. I'm willing to learn the subject, but there's no way I'm letting Malfoy see my memories."

Tetsurou rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, definitely. That might make this more difficult, though." He leaned back onto his elbows, frowning in thought. "Are there other methods for learning it?"

"Meditation supposedly helps, but I haven't looked into it too much." She sighed, "It just wasn't a time-efficient thing to learn."

"Well, we're already meditating, at least." He sat back up, "We could ask Malfoy if there are other options, though. If he can teach us without invading our minds, are you up for that? Or do you know someone better?"

Hermione shook her head, "Everyone I know that knows occlumency is either too busy or…." Snape, Dumbledore, most likely Sirius… Hermione frowned, her voice softening, "Or they're dead."

"Right." Tetsurou's hand closed around hers, squeezing gently. "So he's our only option, then. Well, unless one of the Akaashis knows it, though the ones that might know it are the older members that do government work, and they're probably too busy to teach us. My family doesn't really have any contacts in mind magics."

Hermione shook her head, "It's not exactly a common field. But honestly… I don't want to be further indebted to the Akaashis than I already am."

"Tch. Politics." Tetsurou shook his head, reaching over to push the car toward Teddy, who looked like he'd been growing bored of his two dinosaurs. The boy's hair flashed between pink and black as he picked up the new toy. "So Malfoy's our only option, then."

"We're _not_ letting him know that."

"Of course not." Tetsurou smirked, "That would be stupid."

"So… we'll see if he has a less intrusive method, but if not, we'll try to teach ourselves."

"Because you two have so much time to take on something like that."

"Shut up, Tsukki."

Hermione groaned, "We have to try, Kei-kun."

Kei's incredulous look didn't falter.

Teddy's hands plunged into the rice, scooping up handfuls before he tossed them into the air. Hermione blinked as rice rained down around them. Teddy squealed, then flung rice into the air once more. In seconds, the room had become a complete mess. Kei groaned.

The door banged open.

Hermione, Tetsurou, and Kei's heads whipped toward the doorway and they froze.

Teddy squealed and tossed more rice.

"Tadaima!" Her aunt came through the front door, balancing shopping bags. "Can someone help me with the—" Her aunt faltered as she saw the mess. "Oh goodness."

"I've got this, Kei-kun. Go ahead and help your mom." Hermione pulled out her wand and cast accio to gather the rice. It was moments like this that she was glad she was a witch.

Seconds later more rice flew into the air, followed by squeals and her soulmate's laughter.

Hermione sighed.

She was _really_ glad she was a witch.

* * *

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the match! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! :D

BrownEyesAngel: ) Glad you liked the Tsukki moments! That match is the culmination of his arch in the anime, so it's an important scene J

NYFanFic: Thank you! It makes me happy to hear that you like my characters' interactions!

BratGirl1983: Glad you're enjoying it!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Hey y'all! I've started a discord chatroom to talk about this fic, my crossover ideas, and crossovers in general. If you're interested, please join us! If you click the link and it's expired, send me a pm and I'll give you a new one ;) Delete the spaces to get the link: discord. gg /zAe4aK


	24. The Letter

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

Hermione groaned, rolling over in her sleep.

There was something poking her cheek.

She opened one eye. Teddy was grinning at her.

Right.

Teddy was here. His hair this morning was mimicking Tsukki's sandy blonde, but with Tetsurou's spikes.

She groaned again. Even after just one day with the child, she was exhausted, "How did you get in my room, Teddy bear?"

"I let him in."

Hermione blinked.

Kei's voice.

Kei was leaning against the door frame, smirking at her. "Do you always drool on your pillow after a good night's sleep?"

She shot upright. "Kei-kun!" She threw the pillow at him. "Didn't your mother teach you not to barge into a girl's room?!"

"Hai, hai." He held his hands up and turned on his heel, sliding out of the doorway. "You always sleep fully-clothed because of your nightmares, nee-san. I don't know what the big deal is."

"Urusai!"

She could hear him snickering as he walked down the hallway.

"Awntie, awntie!" Teddy was sitting at the edge of her bed, waving his arms around. "Gar, gar, gar!"

Hermione winced at his loud shouts. It was too early for this. She looked around for something to entertain him and saw the two stuffed cats. They would have to do. She grabbed the one from the claw machine, rubbing it up against Teddy's cheek. He squealed with laughter. "Why don't you play with the cat until I'm ready to go downstairs?"

He held his hand out for the toy, clenching and unclenching his fingers. She dropped the cats in front of him, smiling as he squealed again.

Tetsurou's emotions were still muted, as if he was asleep, but Teddy had slept in the tent with him last night, so her soulmate should be awake… Hermione sighed. Might as well check. She reached out to him tentatively, _You awake?_

 _Been up for an hour, love. Your godson is a menace._

She checked her phone—7:00 am.

Hermione winced. _Gomen._

 _It's fine, but come downstairs, please? Tsukki won't let me come up again. I read Slughorn's letter last night and we need to talk about it._

 _We do?_ Hermione blinked in surprise as she pulled a T-shirt over her head. She had assumed the letter was just the man networking as always.

 _Just… come downstairs. It's better discussed in person._

 _Tetsurou, you're worrying me._ Jeans on, she reached for a ponytail holder. Hopefully that would keep her hair out of Teddy's reach.

 _Gomen. It's…bad, I'm not going to lie. Not a direct threat against us, though. At least, not yet._

Not yet? What was going on? Why hadn't Malfoy mentioned anything if things were bad? Why hadn't Harry or Ron? _I'll be down there as soon as I get Teddy dressed._

She renewed the glamour over her scars and turned toward her godson. Teddy had stayed on the bed, thankfully, but now he was mouthing on one of the cat's ears. Hermione wrinkled her nose. She would clean it later; at least he was still distracted for now. She turned to the bag Malfoy had brought, pulling out a T-shirt that had a dragon on it along with some purple pants and socks.

"Alright, Teddy-bear, let's get some clothes on you."

"Gar!"

"After this you can play with the car."

"Gar, gar!" He threw the cat.

Hermione groaned. "Clothes first, then car."

Somehow she managed to get his sleeping onesie off, though she felt like she was trying to wrestle a screaming mandrake and not a one-year-old boy. She had never been so tempted to cast immobulus on a living being.

That would be bad, though. Casting magic on children could mess up their cores, especially with a metamorphmagus. No spells. Just… wrestling a squirming child. The muggle way. She could do this.

Ten minutes later, Teddy was wearing the shirt, pants, and socks, but now screaming for his cape.

His cape that was in the tent.

 _Tetsurou, would you get his cape for me?_

 _Eh? He wants it now? He threw it down on the floor in disgust last night._

 _Definitely. Can you not hear his screaming?_

 _Oh, I can hear it. I thought that was just throwing a fit about clothes in general, though._

 _At first, yes, but now he wants his cape._

The second cat hit her back. _I should be downstairs when you get back._

 _Hai, hai. See you then._

"Teddy, we do not throw things at people." Hermione turned to glare at the toddler. "Throwing things at people hurts."

His hair was now red, but at least he had stopped screaming. She bent down to pick up the cat. "What do you say after you hurt someone, Teddy?"

The glare continued.

"What do you say, Teddy?" There was no way either Mrs. Weasley or Madam Longbottom hadn't taught the boy to say sorry. "If you don't apologize, you can't wear the cape."

"Sowwy."

Hermione smiled at him. "Good boy, Teddy. Now, why don't we go downstairs and you can play with the car? Uncle Kuroo is getting your cape."

"Gar!"

"Alright Teddy-bear, let's go play with the car." She scooped up the boy and tried to hold him away from her ears so that his squeals didn't deafen her before she even had her morning tea.

When she turned the corner around the bottom of the staircase and entered the kitchen, however, she blinked in surprise.

"Akaashi?"

The setter raised his head from a cup of coffee to meet her eyes. He sighed, "I told Kuroo to wake me up so that I could discuss Malfoy-san's visit with you both over breakfast." He looked down at the coffee, "I did not realize you would be getting up so early, however."

"I see." Well, getting here before Malfoy woke up was one way to have a private conversation, she supposed.

Tetsurou entered the room, then, carrying not only Teddy's cape, but also the toy car.

"Gar!" Teddy reached out for the toy, then almost dropped it right after Tetsurou gave it to him.

"You're a lifesaver, Tetsurou." Hermione quickly adjusted his grip on the toy, then sat him in his purple booster seat that they'd unshrunk and set up the night before. Immediately Teddy rolled the car across the table and it fell onto the floor.

Hermione groaned, but levitated it back toward the child, who squealed once again at the floating toy.

"Sure thing, love." He pulled the letter out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, then collapsed onto the chair across from her. "It would be easiest if you just read it."

 _Akaashi hasn't read it, but I don't think it will cause trouble if we discuss it in front of him. He's used to keeping his mouth shut about political things._

 _That doesn't mean that we should ask him to keep secrets from his family, Tetsurou._

Hermione picked up the letter warily.

Tetsurou sighed, "Just read it."

Hermione frowned, but nodded. "Right. Entertain Teddy for me, would you?"

"Sure." He reached over to push the car away from the boy's hand gently.

Hermione's eyes focused on the page in front of her.

 _Kuroo-san,_

 _Although I intended to follow up with you after our meeting at the ball, I'm afraid matters at home have kept me quite busy. You see, the Aurors have requested my help in finding a cure for a potion-based ailment. One of the surviving death eaters is targeting muggleborn witches and wizards with it, though there have only been a few cases so far, so most do not know what is happening. The Aurors would prefer that the issue remain quiet as long as possible in order to avoid panic, so I must ask for your discretion in this matter._

 _You must be wondering why I am telling you all of this. You see, I'm afraid I am quite stumped regarding this potion. Several of us in Britain are looking for a solution, but nothing has been found. Honestly, we've been searching for a cure for this potion for years. Recent information has given us more of the ingredients, so we were hopeful about finding a cure, but have had no luck despite that hope. Someone with outside knowledge, however, might succeed where we have failed. You are the only eastern potioneer I have met and, though you may not have your mastery, you are Miss Granger's soulmate, so I'm sure you are trustworthy. If you can think of any cure for this potion, we would be in your debt. I've listed the known effects and ingredients below._

 _Effects:_

 _Phase One: Causes one's brain to malfunction. Even if the potion's ingestor has no external pain source, the brain believes the ingestor to be in extreme pain. This can last from one-three days._

 _Phase Two: The brain becomes convinced that the amount of pain suffered has caused the individual to expire and the ingestor becomes catatonic. While in this state, the potion's effects spread from the brain and begin to cause the body to decay from the inside._

 _Phase Three: The body's cells can no longer hold together due to the decay and the body begins to visibly deteriorate until only the skeleton is left._

 _Known Ingredients:_

 _1)_ _Silver cauldron_

 _2)_ _1 liter of manticore blood (base of potion, bring to a boil before adding ingredients)_

 _3)_ _Powdered root of asphodel (unknown quantity)_

 _4)_ _Stir clockwise slowly 10 times_

 _5)_ _Crush around 8 cm of wormwood bark, 3 mandrake leaves and an unknown number of leopards bane seeds together_

 _6)_ _Lower the temperature an unknown amount_

 _7)_ _Add the crushed ingredients to the potion_

 _8)_ _Stir clockwise slowly ten times_

 _9)_ _Add unknown number of tentacula spines_

 _10) Stir counterclockwise three times at a moderate pace_

 _11) Increase temperature and let simmer until an unknown point_

 _12) Add two runespoor eggs (not their shells)_

 _13) There are three more unknown ingredients. Remaining steps are unknown._

 _If you can think of anything that would help, please let me know. I am hopeful that a different perspective will lead to a breakthrough._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Horace Slughorn_

Hermione set the letter down, her hand shaking. Her mind was spinning The directions… they read like someone had watched the potion being brewed, but had not been able to see all the steps.

There were attacks from death eaters. Logically, she knew there were still rogue death eaters, but she thought they had all been in hiding.

Apparently she'd been wrong.

Did Harry and Ron know? Had they kept this from her? Were they in danger?

No. The letter made it seem like it was just aurors and potions masters that knew. And that the attacks were just on muggleborns. But still… that left so many in danger. And it's _Harry_. She wouldn't be surprised if he was a target, despite being a halfblood.

"It was password protected, if you were worried about that. Malfoy couldn't have read it." He pulled the letter back toward him, "Not that it would have mattered, most likely. This is the exact same as what Malfoy gave me this summer."

Hermione's eyes shot up to meet Tetsurou's. "Then Malfoy gave this information to the aurors. And the death eater must be someone who knows the Lestranges."

Akaashi was looking between them carefully, "Should I leave? Is this confidential?"

Hermione bit her lip. She hated not providing friends with information, but Slughorn made it sound like very few people knew about this. "Gomen, Akaashi. It is confidential. We will either be vague or discuss it telepathically, but I must ask that the details you've heard not be shared with your family. I apologize for putting you in that position."

"May I ask if this has anything to do with Japan?"

"It doesn't." At least, not yet. If it did become a problem she'd tell them the details immediately.

"Then I have no need to share it with my family." Akaashi shrugged, "It is simply a personal problem for a friend, and they have no need to know about my friends' personal affairs."

"Arigatou, 'kaashi." Tetsurou had taken the letter once more, hazel eyes pouring over it. He sighed. "After the Lestranges died, I stopped thinking about this. I'll start again today." He groaned, "The rascal kept me up all night. I'm going to need a pepperup."

Hermione winced, "You don't have to solve this on your own, Tetsurou. There are others working on it." He didn't respond. Hermione couldn't feel any emotions coming from him; it was as if he was completely focused on this parchment and nothing else. She sighed, "Well, thank you for taking Teddy to the tent with you last night. I'll bring him to my room tonight."

Tetsurou nodded absently this time. Hermione watched him, her brow creasing with worry. Maybe she should just leave him be? It wasn't like she'd be able to help much… he knew far more than she did in this field. Slughorn had specifically asked for Tetsurou's help, not hers. It was…weird, not having her intellectual abilities needed. She didn't like it. She was proud of him, but she hated feeling unnecessary.

To distract herself, she turned to Akaashi. She might not be able to help Tetsurou, but she could at least keep Teddy out of his hair. "Akaashi, do you know anything about entertaining toddlers?"

Akaashi shrugged, "Not particularly. I have younger cousins, but I did not interact with them much when they were this age."

Hermione sighed, fastening the cape around Teddy's shoulders. "I'm an only child, and my youngest cousin is Kei-kun, so I don't really have much experience with children at all."

"Same." Kuroo absently took a sip of his coffee, "To all of it, actually, now that Tsukki and I are related."

"Please do not refer to me as your youngest cousin, Kuroo-senpai." Kei walked into the room, heading straight toward the coffee maker. "That implies a childhood bond that we do not have."

"But you are my youngest cousin, Tsukki." A tired smirk stretched across his face as he finally looked up from the letter.

"Technicalities."

Hermione sighed, "So none of us have experience with children?"

The car fell to the floor again. Tears began to build up in Teddy's eyes, but they quickly went away once she safely returned to the table.

"Gar, gar!" And he pushed it off once more.

Hermione sighed, "Careful, Teddy, please. Hold onto it."

"Bokuto has younger siblings." Akaashi tilted his head to the side. "He might have some suggestions."

Hermione grinned, "That would be wonderful! We're running out of things to do around the house. The Tsukishimas don't exactly have a lot of child-friendly objects, but with Teddy's hair always changing colors we can't take him anywhere."

Akaashi blinked. "I can help with that." He pulled out his wand and summoned a strip of white cloth, then pulled a marker out of his pocket and wrote out a few runes. "Tie that around his head like a headband. It will act as a notice-me-not for his hair. Wards are safe for children because they act on the area around them, not their magical cores themselves."

"Arigatou!" Hermione grinned at Akaashi, then quickly turned to Teddy. Now she just had to get him to wear the headband. On second thought…she tapped it with her wand, muttering the spell to change the white fabric to purple. "Teddy-bear, you know what would look good with your cape?"

Skeptical eyes turned to the fabric in her hands. "Lots of cool people wear headbands, Teddy. Do you want one."

"No!"

Hermione winced.

Tetsurou took the headband from her and wrapped it around his forehead. "Don't I look cool, Teddy?"

Teddy frowned at him.

Tetsurou grinned, then drew the car away from Teddy. "Lots of people that drive cars really fast wear headbands. They look cool." He pushed the car quickly across the table, acting as if it were driving around a racetrack and making sharp turns.

Teddy's frown became smaller.

"And you like my hair, right? Doesn't the headband look good with my hair?"

Teddy's hair slowly morphed into Tetsurou's black. He held out his hand. "Mine."

Hermione sighed in relief as Tetsurou laughed, "Sure thing, Teddy." He untied the headband and slipped it around Teddy's hair. The ends of the fabric trailed down his back, but Teddy didn't seem to mind. "You look great, kiddo."

"Thank you for helping with that problem, Akaashi. It will be a big help to be able to take Teddy out of the house" She blinked as Kei set a cup of tea in front of her.

"Drink that. I don't want to deal with you being exhausted later on." Kei sat down next to her, nursing his own cup of coffee.

"Arigatou, Kei-kun." As Tetsurou gave the car back to Teddy and the boy began to play with it once more, Hermione turned to Akaashi, "What did you want to discuss about Malfoy, Akaashi?"

"I am uncertain as to his motives."

She sighed, "Join the party." Remembering the Slytherin's childhood tendencies of sneaking around, she added, "Do we know if the ferret is actually asleep?" She really should have thought to check on that sooner.

"Ferret?" Kei frowned.

Right. They didn't know that nickname. "Gomen. Malfoy."

Kei absentmindedly took an apple from the bowl and began cutting it into slices. Hermione grabbed one as well and took a bite as Akaashi started to respond.

"Ah. As a precaution, I placed a monitoring spell on him yesterday, with his permission. We did not want something to happen to him again while he was visiting our country, as that would reflect badly upon us as hosts, so we wanted to take every precaution."

"He bought that?"

A shrug, "More like he wasn't in a position to call us on it, since we can demand that he leave at any time. The permission for a visit was just granted to Teddy, after all, not him."

"I see." Hermione frowned, there was so much she needed to learn about politics. "Where did he go, then?"

Hermione glanced cautiously at Tetsurou. His emotions were filtering across the bond, now. Mostly determination. Some feelings of inadequacy. Of unease and fright.

She didn't like the last three, but she would have to talk with him later. One thing at a time.

She blushed when she realized Akaashi was staring at her with one eyebrow raised.

Kei was watching her as well, head resting on his hand as he turned to stare at her. How long had she been spaced out? Surely it couldn't have been that long.

"Gomen."

Akaashi sighed, "It's fine. I know something big is going on, with how he's acting." Sharp eyes slanted toward where Tetsurou was once again absorbed in the letter, not paying attention to them. "We went to Kotodama. There aren't many places to explore here, magic wise. Japan has a few reserves and communities for magical creatures that we'll visit today, but…." Akaashi frowned, "Malfoy's request was merely that we visit Japan's main magical centers."

Kei pushed a small plate in front of her to where Teddy was sitting. Hermione blinked. "Is that a bunny?"

"Appuh!" Teddy picked up the small slice and took a bite.

Kei looked at her in confusion, "Yes? Do you not do that in England?"

"That's adorable!" Hermione picked up one of the slices and showed it to Teddy, "It's a bunny, Teddy. Look, here are the ears." She had it bounce across the plate.

Teddy looked at her in confusion. "Appuh!" He took the slice from her and ate it.

Hermione sighed. She glanced at her soulmate, who had now brought a pen out and was chewing on the tip as he stared at the letter. Honestly. How much good could rereading the letter do? She knew he was probably running through different scenarios in her head, but still…. "Tetsurou, do you need to go?"

His head shot up. "You want to be separated."

"I need to watch Teddy, but you need to research. It makes sense to do those in different places."

He slowly nodded, eyes completely focused on her. "You sure though?"

"Yes." Hermione kept her voice firm. Separation would hardly be pleasant, but they managed with the ambassador's meeting. They could do so again. "I'll take Teddy somewhere in Tokyo, so we won't be too far away."

"Right. Ok." Tetsurou took a deep breath. "We'll do that this morning, then. We have practice at two, though." His eyes flickered back toward the parchment, but this time he resisted its draw. "You do as well, right Akaashi? Tsukki?"

Kei merely nodded, bu Akaashi responded, "Yes. I will have a relative trade places with me and escort Malfoy-san."

"Arigatou, Akaashi."

Tetsurou tilted his head back and sighed, "Dang this is complicated. Alright, what needs to be done before we go to Tokyo?"

"Akaashi said that Malfoy has just been visiting Japan's magical centers and walking around, but doesn't seem to be looking for anything or staying in any place for long. Did he mention anything yesterday?"

"Just that he wanted to see different magical places and meet people."

Hermione blinked. Akaashi cocked his head to the side. "Malfoy did not say anything to me about meeting people, but he didn't actually talk to anyone yesterday. Well, besides the occasional shopkeeper." He frowned, "You're sure he said he wanted to meet people?"

"Positive. He said we did things differently and he felt like meeting people would help him understand those differences."

"Why wouldn't he talk to anyone, then? That makes no sense."

Akaashi shrugged. "I was hoping you would have an answer to his behavior. I myself am clueless."

The car clattered once more onto the floor. Hermione turned to see that Teddy had apparently finished the apple-bunnies and returned (unsuccessfully) to playing with the toy. She quickly levitated it back onto the table. "Careful Teddy-bear. Hold onto it, remember?"

Tetsurou sighed. "Just, watch him again for us, would you? I doubt it would be wise to let him wander around again alone."

Akaashi nodded. "Will do. I'll have Bokuto meet us in Tokyo, as well. He should have ideas on where to take your godson."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you, Akaashi."

Kei had slumped in his chair, "I suppose I will go with you and Bokuto-san, nee-san. At least his energy will help entertain your godson."

"Arigatou, Kei-kun." She liked Bokuto, but dealing with both him and Teddy on her own would have been a bit overwhelming.

Tetsurou spoke up, "Then we just need to wake Malfoy up and head out, right?" Hermione nodded, and a slow smirk spread across his face.

"I'll go do the honors, then." He stood up and stretched, then winked at Hermione when he felt her arousal over his movements. "It's a long day ahead, love. Make sure you finish the tea, we'll both need the energy." His hand squeezed her shoulder as he slipped past.

She glanced down into her cup. It was still half-full.

Half-full.

She downed the rest of the tea with a few gulps. Optimism had taken her this far, they would get through this, too. There may not be a direct threat against them, but they would help her homeland. Somehow. She didn't know what part she would play in this yet, but she would find a way to help him.

After all, they were soulmates.

* * *

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed this week's installment :D All comments are much appreciated. Just a heads up, but I will not be posting any in May. It's just going to be a busy month for me, sorry. :/ I'll be back in June, though, promise!  
BrownEyesAngel: Glad you liked Teddy and Tsukki's awkwardness! There's no way any of these teenagers are used to children. ;) and no comment on Malfoy


	25. The Wisdom of Owls

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto was waving his arms at them as he stood by a tree across the street.

Hermione tried to ignore the odd sense of déjà vu that washed over her. It would be different, this time. Instead of Tetsurou by her side, she had Teddy and the gnawing emptiness that came with Tetsurou's absence. The zoo would be much more enjoyable for Teddy than Tetsurou's room, though, and safer since Tetsurou would be experimenting. Carefully, she muted her emotions across the bond, trying to help his focus.

The light for pedestrians began to flash, and Hermione pushed the pram across the busy intersection. She'd had to buy a pram on the way since apparently wizards didn't use them, which Hermione thought was ridiculous. Teddy seemed to be having fun, at least, as he was bouncing in his seat and constantly waving his hands and shouting "gar!" at all the vehicles.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they crossed the street and she didn't have to worry about Teddy trying to get closer to any of the 'gars.' She wouldn't put it past the boy, and accidental magic was a thing to be feared, especially in public like this.

"Thank you for joining us, Bokuto. And for the suggestion." She tucked a piece of hair nervously behind her ear. She honestly wasn't sure what to expect, as this would be her first time spending time with Bokuto without Tetsurou or Akaashi around.

"No problem!" Bokuto grinned and gave her a thumbs up before crouching down in front of Teddy. "Hey, hey, hey, little man! I'm Uncle Bokuto, nice to meet you!"

Teddy blinked.

His hair slowly morphed under the headband, now containing silver highlights, though it kept Tetsurou's style. Hermione bit her lip and wondered how long it would take for Teddy to become less enamored with her soulmate's hair.

"Woah!" Bokuto's eyes widened. "That's really awesome! You like silver, huh? You want to see a silver owl? It's the coolest!"

"Ow?" Teddy was frowning now.

Bokuto hooted. "Owls hoot!" He hooted again.

Teddy started giggling, then copied Bokuto, letting out a squeaky hoot.

"There you go!" Bokuto grinned, "Hoot, hoot!"

Hermione groaned, "Please don't turn him into an owl maniac, Bokuto."

"But owls are the best! Right, Teddy?"

"Whooo, whoooo!" Teddy waved his arms around as he imitated the older boy.

Hermione shook her head in amusement, "How many do you even own, Bokuto?" As a wizard, Hermione was sure that he had at least one.

She pushed the pram toward the line at the ticket stand, and the other boy fell into step beside her. "I have three!" His grin was blinding. "They're the best. A great horned owl named Ace, a, etooo…. russet backed pygmy owl named Chibi and…" his voice trailed off. "GAH! I know this English name!" His face scrunched up in concentration, "Oh! A rufous-legged owl! It's named Hoshi."

Three. He had three owls. In a densely packed muggle city. "Your poor parents. What do your neighbors think?"

"Well, I only have Chibi at home. The other two stay with Akaashi since he has more land."

"And Akaashi's fine with this?" At least Bokuto was being somewhat practical, though.

"Totally! Hoshi is actually both of ours, we got him together on our first anniversary. And Akaashi got me Ace when we were younger." Bokuto gave her a big grin, "'Kaashi admitted years later that it was because he wanted to make sure that I came over all the time because he was lonely at his house."

Hermione blinked. That was… really sweet. And if Akaashi's home was anything like pureblood mansions back in England, she could understand his being lonely. "Doesn't he have a large family, though?"

"Yeah, but none of them liked to play with him because he's the heir and all. They see him as an authority figure, which is lame."

"How many tickets?" A gruff voice interrupted their conversation.

Tickets? Oh. Hermione looked over and realized they were at the ticket window. Before she could respond, though, Bokuto was handing enough money to the employee for three tickets.

"Bokuto! I can pay for ours!"

"Nah, it's cool." Another grin. "I'm the one that suggested we come here; we could've gone to a free park or something, so I'll pay for the tickets." He passed her one of the wristbands he received, putting his own on with practiced ease before bending down with Teddy's.

"You ready to go see the owls, Teddy, my man?"

"Whoo! Whoo!"

Bokuto grinned and ruffled Teddy's hair, thankfully not displacing the headband. "Exactly! Just like that!" He let out a boisterous laugh.

Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed the pram forward. "Lead the way, Bokuto."

"Of course! And I can push the pram for a while, Granger!"

That would probably be fine… Hermione bent over to make eye contact with Teddy, "Is it ok if Bokuto pushes you for a bit, Teddy-bear?"

Two affirmative hoots answered her. Well, she thought they were affirmative. Hermione shrugged, "Go ahead, Bokuto. If you get tired I can take over again, though, alright?"

"Sure!" Another blinding grin and he set off, already setting a fast pace. Hermione quickly lengthened her stride to keep up.

"You're doing ok, right?" Bokuto glanced over at her.

Doing ok? Oh, the bond. "It… it's uncomfortable, but not painful. It's like there's something missing, like there's this constant hum at the back of my head, reminding me that something's not right."

Bokuto nodded, "Yeah! I get that! That's how Akaashi and I were at first! The feeling's still there, honest, but like… dull or something? I don't notice it anymore unless I think about it. Like white noise." Bokuto nudged her shoulder with one hand, "Looks like your bond is starting to settle down and be more like normal!"

Normal. Hermione hadn't been called normal for so long… first she was the odd bookworm, then part of the 'golden trio', then a war heroine, then a foreigner…. And now, now she was being called normal. She wanted to laugh.

"Man, you and Kuroo are so lucky." Bokuto's voice was wistful.

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Lucky?"

"Yeah!" One arm gestured wildly as he continued to push the pram. "First off, you've got this awesome bond, and I get that the reasons for it are shitty and all, but it's still awesome."

She supposed that made sense. It was really nice to be so close to someone. Especially to someone like Tetsurou.

"But like, that's not even all of it!" Bokuto was waving one arm, now. "Like, Akaashi and I know we're together, and you two do, but most don't, right? So people flirt with him all the freaking time. And he's gorgeous, so I don't blame them, but, like, he's mine? We're together! But I can't say anything." He pouted. "But you can!" He looked to the side and grinned at her, "And with your bond and everything, you two spend practically all your time together!" His smile turned softer, "Sometimes I feel like I only see 'Kaashi at practice, and weeks can go by without us getting time alone with each other. His family doesn't like to leave us unsupervised and all…" His voice trailed off and his pace slowed down. "I don't think they like me."

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm sure that's not true, Bokuto. You're a wonderful person. Who could dislike you?" Though she was sure the Akaashis were less exuberant than he was, surely they could tell he was a good person?

The bright grin returned. "Thanks, Granger! Seriously, though, I'm jealous. You and Kuroo are practically living together already! I can't wait until we're in college together and 'Kaashi and I get to be roommates. We're married, sure, but it never actually feels like that, you know?" He laughed, "Any day that I wake up with Akaashi nearby is such a good day! Just thinking about when it'll be like that every day makes me super happy!"

Bokuto thought that living together would make him feel more like he and Akaashi were married? But they already were, just like Tetsurou and her… and he thought she was already practically living with Tetsurou? It wasn't wrong, but…. "Bokuto-"

"Owls!" Bokuto began pushing the pram faster. "Owls, Teddy, my man!"

Hermione sighed and followed behind as Bokuto raced forward, Teddy squealing at the speed.

Bokuto thought marriage meant a couple living together. A couple being recognized by society.

But people could live together and not be married, even if they were in a relationship.

But she and Tetsurou had already done the whole 'promise to stay together' part. They'd sealed the bond. They'd done the paperwork.

Was the only thing left just… living together?

No.

No, when Tetsurou went to college, she couldn't imagine _not_ living with him, somehow. In Japan it was normal even for people to live off-campus, so it wouldn't even be hard to manage.

Hermione bit her lip, watching Bokuto as he kneeled down to point out different owls to Teddy, the two hooting happily.

She was scared.

Scared of everyone non-magical's reaction to their being married.

But for Bokuto… that's what he was most jealous of. That she could claim Tetsurou as her husband, which he'd never be able to do with Akaashi. Not with the non-magical population or anyone besides close friends.

She was too young. People would think it was odd. She was scared of those reactions. But the people who mattered wouldn't care, would they?

Who mattered?

Friends.

Family.

People in positions of authority or influence.

Whoever would be on Tetsurou's college team.

The first group might be surprised, but wouldn't care. The second wouldn't care at all. The third… Hermione frowned. They shouldn't care about Hermione and Tetsurou's personal lives. Well, the British ones would, but they would approve. The last… might be a problem, but probably wouldn't care? Hopefully? Other than thinking it odd. But Tetsurou was charismatic enough that they would most likely look past it.

So why was she scared?

Hermione inhaled slowly, then exhaled.

She would be with Tetsurou for the rest of her live. She knew this.

Knowing that this situation would work out and feeling like it would work out were two different things.

Soulbonds weren't a guarantee that the relationship would be perfect. It would need work, but she and Tetsurou were both willing to work at it.

But… they were right. All of them. Akaashi was right. She wanted to be with Tetsurou, to be able to hug him in public and not care what people thought. Kei was right. And she wanted to do this for her sake, not her society's, like Kei had said. And… and Bokuto was right. She wanted to wake up next to Tetsurou. To tell everyone he was hers and she was his.

Hermione swallowed.

She… wanted to marry Tetsurou?

Like actually marry him? Not just the form?

She loved him.

It had only been three months, but she loved him.

Hermione sat down on the nearby bench, her thoughts whirling.

When…?

When had she fallen in love with him?

She'd decided to stay in Japan because it was the logical thing to do, but now…. Hermione couldn't imagine a life without him.

Without him… She hated this feeling, this horrible gnawing feeling.

It wasn't very painful anymore, not physically, but…

She hated it.

She wanted him here.

Why couldn't she stand being apart? It had just been an hour or so.

Why was she so weak? She'd always thought girls who constantly wanted to be with their boyfriends were foolish.

But now…. She hated it.

She wanted to spend every moment with him.

Just like Bokuto said.

She wanted to marry Tetsurou, even if it would mean stares.

She didn't know when this feeling had become love, but she loved him now. More than she had loved Ron, despite everything they'd been through. This was different. And… Hermione swallowed nervously. And she should probably tell Tetsurou that she loved him.

"Oi! Granger!" Hermione blinked and managed to focus on the figure of Bokuto waving at her, "Stop sitting there and come see the owls!"

Owls. Right.

Thoughts about her stray cat would have to wait a little longer, she had her godson to entertain.

* * *

A/N: I'm back! Sorry, I was gone a bit longer than I intended as I get back into the swing of things. Anyway, not sure what my update schedule will be yet, but I've got the next chapter mostly written, so I'll post that on sometime next week :D

Also, I've got a discord server now where we talk about my work, anime, and writing in general. I'll also post chapter previews there, as well. All new members are welcome! PM me for the link, I guess. won't let me post it :/


	26. Malfoy & Nekoma

Obviously, I own none of the rights to either of these series. Those belong to J.K. Rowling and Haruichi Furudate, along with whatever publishers, producers, etc., are involved with both series.

* * *

After a long morning at the zoo, the three of them were on their way to the exit when Hermione froze in shock.

Just outside the exit was Draco Malfoy, wearing a tight black V-neck T-shirt and ripped jeans. Muggle clothing. Not only that, but muggle clothing that was actually the current fashion. Next to him, Akaashi was leaning against a tree, bored.

"Akaaaaashiiiii!" Bokuto ran toward his soulmate, pushing the pram in front of him. "You came to walk with me to practice?! You're the best, Akaashi!" Teddy squealed happily at the sudden speed, flapping his arms in the air and shouting, "Hoot, hoot!"

Hermione smiled at the two boys' antics but was too distracted to laugh outright like some of the nearby tourists.

What was Malfoy during at the muggle zoo? She'd thought the plan had been for one of Akaashi's relatives to stay with Malfoy for the afternoon, so why was he here?

Akaashi's smooth voice interrupted her thoughts, "Although that is a pleasant side-effect, I actually came because Malfoy said he wanted to watch Nekoma's practice."

Hermione blinked barely registering that Bokuto was now kneeling in front of the pram, keeping Teddy distracted while the three of them talked. She turned to the British wizard in confusion, "You want to do what?"

Malfoy shrugged, "Everyone I know in Japan seems obsessed with the game, so I figured I should see what the fuss is about. I _do_ like sports, after all." He grinned at her, "And you could probably use someone to watch Teddy during the practice, am I right?"

She glared at him. "I was planning on handling that myself." Taking notes from the sidelines wasn't ideal, but it would be alright for one practice.

"Oh?" Malfoy raised one eyebrow in mock disbelief, "But aren't you part of the team? You should be helping them, not babysitting your godson."

"One practice wouldn't hurt. And I could still take notes." She was _not_ going to fold her arms in front of her chest. That was a defensive posture and she would not give Malfoy that victory.

Malfoy smirked at her. "But Teddy and I are long overdue for some cousin bonding time. Family bonding is important, correct?"

She wanted to hit him; she really did. But she wasn't fifteen anymore, and, darn him, everything he said really did make sense. And she may not trust him, but Malfoy could only do so much while trapped in a gym filled with non-magical people.

 _Tetsurou?_

There was a brief moment of silence in which she wondered if they were too far apart for their telepathy to work, but then he responded. _What's up, love? Practice isn't for another half hour or so._

 _Malfoy wants to come watch the team._

 _That's…weird, but ok, I guess._ Tetsurou's voice sounded distracted. Was he still working on the potion? _Coach won't care._ Another pause, then, _Gomen, Mio, but I really need to get this done and under stasis before practice._

 _That's fine, sorry for interrupting._ After all, she had gone to the zoo with Teddy so that he could work undisturbed until practice.

Hermione frowned, staring at the boy in front of her. It felt like she had no choice but to say yes, since there wasn't a clear reason to deny him.

Malfoy laughed, "You two really do need my help with that; you're completely obvious."

Hermione blushed bright red, "Shut up." She was only around wizards at the moment, so it's not like she'd needed to hide what she'd been doing. She glared at him. "Tetsurou says it's fine for you to come, though."

"I like how you're not even trying to deny that you were talking to him." He rolled his eyes, "You're such a Gryffindor."

"How are those two things even related?!"

"Because all Gryffindors have the subtlety of a bull in a china shop."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief, the insult to her house forgotten in the face of a bigger issue. "How do you even know that saying?"

"Slytherins are ambitious, Granger. I'd be a fool of a Slytherin if I didn't _adapt_ to the times."

"Is that what all of this is? You adapting?"

He shrugged, "With you in Japan, but still influencing Harry Potter, things are bound to change a bit back in England to reflect whatever you like here. Anyone who's not an idiot would realize that. So I'm doing some research. Seeing if I agree with things," he smirked, "and if I want to influence any changes on my own."

Hermione stared at him. This was… a lot to take in. And… her eyes flickered to where Akaashi was standing next to Bokuto, watching them. It was a lot like what Akaashi had said earlier. Why did people keep believing she was going to influence things on such a large scale? It would be nice, certainly, as there were things about Japan that she liked, but… Hermione frowned. Now was not the time for personal doubts. "So you want to be ahead of everyone."

"Precisely. Japanese politics, muggle terminology…" he shrugged, "I will rebuild the Malfoy name, using whatever means necessary."

"And now you want to see a volleyball practice." She arched an eyebrow. Politics was one thing, but this was just an extra-curricular sport.

He just kept his smirk in place, though, his eyes revealing only his slight amusement at her confusion. "You're interested in it. That alone makes it interesting to me."

She glared at him, "You're such a headache, Malfoy."

That actually got him to laugh, "I'm glad, Granger. Heaven forbid we actually get along." Hermione's eyebrow twitched. Heaven forbid. Heaven, not Merlin. How had he become this familiar with muggle slang? How much time was he spending in the muggle world, and what was he doing? She doubted he would reveal all of his motives to her, just like that.

Merlin, she was beginning to sound as paranoid as Harry.

"Indeed." She stared at him a bit longer, then sighed when he raised an eyebrow at her silence. "Fine. You can come. Just… don't cause a scene."

She turned back toward Teddy, walking a few steps to grab the handle to his pram. "Thanks for spending the morning with Teddy and me, Bokuto. He really seemed to be enjoying himself. And thank you for taking the time to escort Malfoy, Akaashi."

Akaashi gave her a nod, while Bokuto jumped up, grinning. "Sure thing! How long is the little guy staying?"

"They're heading back to England tomorrow, actually. This was just a short visit." Thank Merlin for that, too. Teddy was enough of a handful. Adding Malfoy to the mix was driving her insane.

"Aw, man." Bokuto pouted. "I wanted to spend more time with the kid."

Hermione smiled at him, "I'll let you know the next time he's visiting." Bokuto really was too nice.

"Awesome!" Bokuto grinned at her. "Catch you later, then! Have a good practice and tell Kuroo I can't wait to beat him in two weeks!"

Hermione groaned. She had a feeling the upcoming tournament was going to occupy a lot of Tetsurou's time. Hopefully it would help distract him from the potions project. She didn't like how intense he'd been about the letter… She knew what it was like to lose yourself in a project.

Those were thoughts for another time, though. "I'll make sure Nekoma will have a good practice so that it will be the other way around, Bokuto." She laughed at his shocked face, then began to push the pram away from them and toward the station.

Malfoy's brisk steps fell in line behind her. "There's a tournament in two weeks?"

"Yes. To go to see who will represent Tokyo at the national competition. So I really meant it when I asked that you not cause a scene to disrupt them. It may be a small thing, but it's important to them."

He scoffed behind her, "As if I would do that."

"I recall you doing exactly that at Slughorn's party." Hermione winced as she came to a stop, waiting for the crosswalk light to turn green. She'd meant it as a light barb, but she probably shouldn't have gone there.

" _That_ was under extremely trying circumstances." His voice was strained, and he was obviously holding himself back from saying anything further.

She sighed as they light turned green. "I know. Sorry." She pushed the pram forward.

"Right. Forgive me if I don't actually care about the apologies of Gryffindors. You always speak before you think, so you're bound to say something insensitive again."

Hermione groaned, "Could you stop the insults for a few minutes, at least?"

"Of course. If you go a few minutes without making me want to insult you."

Ugh. She needed to change the topic or they would just keep going in this circle. She entered the station, heading toward the apparition room that was labelled 'staff transportation only.' "Japan doesn't do much apparating directly from place to place within cities because everything is so crowded it's hard to guarantee that you won't be seen. We'll be apparating to another station and walking to the school."

"Akaashi-san did explain that much about their transportation system." He looked around the small white room, "At least they keep their public transportation areas clean."

Hermione blinked in disbelief. Surely he hadn't… "You went on the tube?"

Malfoy actually shuddered. "It was not a pleasant experience."

Hermione laughed, "No, the first time never is." One hand clenching the pram's handle, she held out her other arm to Malfoy. "Hold on, I'll take us there." Apparating another person and a pram would definitely be tiring, but she couldn't leave Teddy alone in either place, and Malfoy didn't know where they were going, so there wasn't really another option.

Malfoy put his hand on her elbow, but surprisingly didn't flinch at the contact like he would have when they were at Hogwarts.

Hermione catalogued yet another difference, then apparated them both. The trip wasn't too far, but apparition was always jarring no matter the distance. Malfoy, of course, looked completely undisturbed. Hermione supposed if you'd been doing it since you were a child with your parents, you wouldn't react in quite the same way. Ron had always been less bothered by it than she or Harry. Well, until he'd been splinched.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Hermione opened the door, entering yet another bustling station. "This way."

 _Cutting it close, Love. I've told the coach you're on your way and that you're bringing some relatives that are in town. Hope that's ok._

 _Perfectly fine, thank you, Tetsurou. It's a convenient excuse and… somewhat true, even if it's a stretch and neither Malfoy nor I want to be considered relatives._ She sighed. _I'll try to set them up in a corner quickly so that I can help with practice right as it starts._

 _Take your time. Your help is appreciated, but we've been without a manager for a long time. We can make do for a few minutes._

"Have a good chat?" Malfoy's snide voice interrupted her concentration.

Hermione groaned, "Oh, shut up. You've made your point."

She did her best to ignore him as she pushed the pram through the crowded Tokyo Station and the nearby city streets. It was even a nice walk, in a way. The loud chaos around them provided a wonderful reason to avoid talking.

Soon, though, they'd reached the gym. She slid open the gym door, hoping to head toward a corner before anyone saw them, but had no such luck.

"New people!" Lev immediately jumped up when the door opened, as did Yamamoto. Inuoka said something to Yamamoto that made him blush and stay in place, but the silver-haired giant came bounding over. "I'm Lev Haiba! I'm half-Russian. Who are you? Who is the kid?" He turned to look at Hermione, "Was that all right, Granger-san? I've been working on my English!"

Hermione laughed at Malfoy's dazed face. "It was correct, Lev-san."

"Just Lev! I have said that!" He looked dismayed, but quickly turned his attention back to Malfoy, "Well? Your name?"

"Malfoy Draco."

"English name order or Japanese name order?"

"Japanese." Malfoy frowned, "Wait, is your first name Lev?"

"Yes! I use my first name! So does Kenma!" He grinned "Who's the kid? Why are you here?"

"Lev-san, this is Teddy. My godson and Malfoy's cousin. They're visiting for the weekend and wanted to watch your practice." She glanced pointedly behind him to where Yaku was beginning to get angry, "which you should be doing."

"Right! I'll talk more afterwards!" Lev's head bobbed up and down, before he turned around and yelled, "Yaku-senpai!" He ran off toward the shorter player, shouting something in Japanese. Something about English? Maybe he was bragging about their conversation?

Hermione took a moment to take in the gym, her eye's alighting on Tetsurou as he barked out something in Japanese, causing the team to scramble around and begin their exercises once more.

He must have taken a pepper-up, because he didn't look or feel as exhausted as he had earlier that day.

Seeing him in his element like this… she swallowed. It made her happy to see him happy, laughing at something Fukunaga had said.

She loved him.

Hermione blushed at the thought. She wanted to marry him.

 _Wait. What?!_ Tetsurou's head whipped around to stare at her.

 _Sorry! I… I didn't intend for you to hear that. To tell you this way… Um…_ How had he heard that? She thought they had stopped projecting… Ugh, this was so difficult.

Her eyes widened as a ball went flying over the net. _Tetsurou!_ He looked back toward the other players, but only just in time to be hit in the face with Yamamoto's ball.

Malfoy burst out laughing beside her, "You two are _horrible_ at this, aren't you?"

Hermione glared at the wizard but tried to ignore him as she pushed the pram toward the corner. Yamamoto and Tetsurou started yelling at each other—Yamamoto was angry he didn't have a girl to distract him?—But Kai stepped in, calming things down quickly.

 _We'll talk later. I have to do practice right now._

 _Of course! Sorry for distracting you._

 _I'll gladly take a ball to the face for more revelations like that, love._

"That's odd."

Hermione blinked and turned toward Malfoy as she parked the pram. "What is?"

"After that first performance I would have said he needed more work, but you must have caught him off-guard. He was much better at hiding the second conversation just now. I don't think his teammates suspected he was distracted at all. Which means you'll actually need more work than he will."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Does it really matter who needs more work? We both need help with it."

Malfoy hummed noncommittedly, reaching out a hand to accept Teddy's bag that she'd just pulled out from under the pram. He sighed, "Don't be so tense, Granger." He smirked, a challenge underlying his next few words, "I _do_ know how to play nice."

Hermione frowned. Why would he touch on the conversation that had just made him angry with her? Was he testing her? No… no, he was asking her to trust him. "Well, why don't you start proving it by being nice to your cousin for a bit."

His answering smile was strained, "Gladly."

Hermione forced herself to turn around and walk toward the team. It still didn't make any sense why Malfoy would want to come to a practice. Was he just trying to get on their good side by watching Teddy?

She couldn't focus on that conundrum, now, though. He was here, she'd deal with the consequences later.

 _There's a spare clipboard by the coaches, love. Would you keep track of Lev's plays? Idiot needs someone to stay on top of him. Watch his blocks to make sure his arms are in the correct form, and see how many receives and spikes he gets and misses._

 _Can do._ After watching the team for this long, she could at least compare Lev's form against Tetsurou's or Yaku's and figure out when the first year was doing something wrong.

Time flew while she was marking down Lev's mistakes. He _was_ getting better, but it was a slow process. She could see why Tetsurou was worried about him—the half-Russian was an obvious weak link in the team, even if he did give them some helpful attack power.

Every now and then she glanced over to make sure Teddy was doing ok, but the child seemed content for the most part. Malfoy had him playing with some of Tsukki's dinosaurs, though Teddy seemed happiest whenever he was chewing on the blanket she'd packed for him. Malfoy himself had a book out, and honestly didn't seem interested in the practice at all, despite having insisted that he wanted to come see it.

While they cleaned up the gym, Hermione did her best to practice small Japanese phrases. When she asked Yamamoto where they'd gotten the broom from, though, the boy just turned bright red, stammered a bit, and fled. Hermione looked around, wondering if anyone else would help, but the closest boy—Shibayama-just smiled, said he didn't know, and went to pick up the water bottles.

She frowned in frustration. _Kuroo, how do you say where does the broom go?_ His laughter rang through her head, then he repeated exactly what she'd said earlier, adding, _You realize, that innuendo stays the same, despite the language difference?_

Oh. Hermione blushed. That… certainly explained the other boys' reactions. But still! _How else am I supposed to ask where it goes?_

"I'll take it, Mio." Tetsurou's arm reached over her shoulder, his hand brushing against hers as he grasped the broom.

"Tetsurou!" She turned around, startled. She'd stopped paying attention to his location when he'd left to go get changed before the others. She blinked. He was standing really, really close. She took a step back, "We're in public, Tetsurou."

"Can you blame a guy for being a bit jealous when his girl asked other guys where she should put their broom?"

"Brat." Hermione whacked his shoulder. "It wasn't like that, and you know it." Her eyes widened as she looked over into the corner of the gym. Lev had cornered Malfoy and was waving around his arms, very enthusiastic about something. "I never thought I'd say this, but I need to go rescue Malfoy."

"Oh? Is he a damsel in distress again?" Tetsurou turned around to see where she was looking, then started to snicker. "Yaku's heading over there, too. You better be fast."

"Lovely." Hermione groaned, letting go of the broom and walking toward the corner. "I knew it wasn't smart to just leave him there," she muttered under her breath.

As she approached, she could hear Yaku yelling at Lev about how bad his receives had been that day. That was… a very normal topic. But why did they need to have their daily argument right in front of Malfoy?

She came to a stop next to the three boys, glad that Teddy seemed amused by the loud teens and not frightened. With his mother the way she'd been, it made sense that loud noises would entertain him. Hermione sighed. Her godson was going to give her a lot of headaches, she just knew it.

Lev noticed her, then, and turned away from Yaku to face her, "I can't understand! He does not like volleyball! And Yaku-senpai won't translate it!"

"Because you don't need to be bothering him! You should be helping to clean the gym, you idiot!"

"I said, it's hard to tell if a sport is fun just by watching a practice match. You need to watch a match or tournament to figure that out."

Yaku sighed, seemingly giving up on pushing Lev toward the middle of the gym. "Then come see a tournament. Will you still be here in two weeks? We're having one then."

Malfoy grinned, "You don't say?"

"November 17th—the same day as Kuroo's birthday. You can come and decide if you like the game afterwards."

Hermione stared at Yaku in horror, then at Malfoy in disbelief. Malfoy… wanted to come to see the matches?

"Is it a big tournament?"

Big? Why in Merlin's name did he care about the size?

Yaku shrugged, "All the best Tokyo teams will be there, and a big audience and sometimes announcers who will explain moves." He grinned, "Nekoma will definitely win, but we could always use another person cheering in the stands."

"Sounds interesting. I'm in."

Wait.

"What?" Hermione stared at Malfoy. The Slytherin Prince. Pureblood heir. THE Draco Malfoy. "You want to go to a volleyball tournament?"

"Why not?" He grinned at her, and it was completely fake. "It sounds fun."

"Now, now, we're not even sure if he'll be in Japan, then." Tetsurou walked toward them, his smile sharp. "Yaku, Lev, thanks for entertaining our friend here, but would you mind letting us talk alone? Family matters and all that."

Yaku shrugged, "Sure. See you tomorrow, Kuroo."

"Hai, hai." Tetsurou waved them off, then turned toward them with one eyebrow raised. "Now what was that about?"

Malfoy shrugged, "I was invited to come to your upcoming game and accepted the invitation."

"Right…" Tetsurou looked and felt completely lost, and Hermione didn't blame him.

"Why in Merlin's name do you want to go to a volleyball tournament, Malfoy?"

"Merlin? For heaven's sake, Granger. That's such an odd saying in present company."

"Oh, shut up and answer the question."

He sighed, "Look, I'll need a plausible reason to come to Japan, anyway, to help you with your bond. We might as well pretend I get along well with your soulmate, here, and am coming to support him at his game."

She hated that Malfoy actually made sense. Yet… "We never actually agreed to accept your help."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Please. Like you have other places to turn. You can put sensitive information in a pensieve or we can take this slower by not having me enter your minds. I don't care. Drop the act, Granger. You need my help, and I need to be seen associating with the good guys. We both win here." He smirked, "If you don't want me to enter your minds and want me to take this slow, that actually helps me even more, since I'll be around you longer." He looked between them with one eyebrow raised, "I assume that's how it's going to happen? Pensieve's are rare, after all."

Hermione met Tetsurou's eyes, at a loss as to how they could contradict the Slytherin. It wasn't like they could borrow Dumbledore's pensieve, and she didn't know of another one. And they _did_ need help.

Tetsurou sighed, "Fine. You're right. Yes, we accept your help, and yes, we plan to go the slow route. Happy with yourself?"

"Very." Malfoy smirked at the two of them, entirely too pleased with himself for her liking.

Hermione was going to regret this, she just knew it.

* * *

A/N:

Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! I'm working on two fics atm, so updates will probably be slow, but they'll keep coming, I promise! I've got a discord server now where we talk about my work, anime, and writing in general. I'll also post chapter previews there and let ppl know when new chapters are coming, as well. All new members are welcome! PM me for the link, I guess. won't let me post it :/

BrownEyesAngel & NYFanFic: It's good to be back! Thanks for coming back and still reading even though it's been a while!


	27. Conversations

After they'd apparated back to the Tsukishimas, Hermione felt awkward. She didn't really want to have this conversation with Teddy distracting them, but she also didn't want to leave Teddy alone with Malfoy, nor did she want to go in the house to talk because then the Tsukishimas would be there….

"For Merlin's sake, you two are so obvious. Look, I don't know what was on Granger's mind that threw Kuroo-san for a loop earlier, but obviously _something_ happened. I'll watch the brat." Malfoy glared at them both. "You two go for a walk or something."

Hermione bit her lip. They didn't know what Malfoy was up to. Would it really be wise to—

"Go!" Malfoy grabbed the handle of the pram and pushed it a few inches toward the tent in the backyard. "If you're that paranoid set up a perimeter ward or something, Granger. But I'm not going to hurt my closest living relative that's not in Azkaban."

Hermione winced. Maybe she was being too paranoid. "Sorry, Malfoy. Yes, that would be lovely."

"Finally." The Slytherin rolled his eyes, then walked toward the tent, disappearing inside with Teddy.

"So…" Tetsurou's hand reached out, his fingers threading through hers. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

She nodded, but she did set up a perimeter ward to prevent anyone from leaving the tent. Earlier, she'd… everything had felt so clear in her head. But now that it was time to actually _talk_ with Tetsurou about it, to say aloud that she…

She couldn't do it.

Next to her, Tetsurou was silent as they walked down the road.

Nervously, Hermione tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't intended for him to find out like that, but she also had no clue what she should say now that he did know.

They passed one house after another.

The silence grew.

Hermione bit her lip. What should she say? Tetsurou was…He was everything she could ever want in a partner. She supposed that's what a soulmate was meant to be, but it was still so overwhelming! Only a few months ago, she would have sworn she was in love with Ron, and now—

"I love you too, you know."

Hermione's brain froze. She let out a startled squeak as her head whipped toward Tetsurou, "What?" She tried to search his face, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring straight forward at the road in front of them.

He felt a little nervous and… Oh. She'd noticed this emotion for a while, now, honestly, but she'd hesitated to call it anything other than fond, or caring, or even liked a lot, but…

Love?

"And I'd felt the same feeling within you, but you hadn't seemed willing or ready to verbalize it, so…" he shrugged. "We have our bond, right? We don't need words to express emotions. Or at least, I'd thought that. But hearing it…" Finally, Tetsurou turned to look at her, "hearing it was really nice, even if it was just hearing it mentally. It's ok if you can't say it aloud yet, though."

His eyes were so warm, so… loving. Hermione rubbed her arm uneasily. "Tetsurou, I…" she paused, trying to find the right words. "I think I've loved you for a while, now, but I only just realized it."

"A while, hmm?" He stopped, pulling her hand so that she turned toward him and stood in front of him. His hands reached out, resting on her waist. Hermione blushed, crossing her arms defensively.

"Maybe? Yes?" Hermione shook her head, "I'm not very good with emotions. Practically anyone could tell you that. But I was talking with Bokuto earlier and he mentioned how he really wished that he and Akaashi could be public with their relationship like we can, and… well, it helped put things into perspective a bit, I suppose?"

"And the marriage bit?" Hazel eyes studied her, calm and curious.

"That was part of it?" She took a deep breath, uncrossing her arms and letting them rest on Tetsurou's waist. "I want to be with you all the time. No more having separate bedrooms for propriety's sake and having to part ways every night. I want… I want everyone to know that you're mine and no one else can have you."

Tetsurou laughed, leaning down and resting his forehead against hers. "That's all great, but Mio, no one else has a chance against you. You don't have to marry me to prove that. You're completely and utterly amazing." He pulled her closer, hugging her and resting his head against hers. "I'll always be yours."

Hermione felt her shoulders relax in his embrace. "I want everyone to know that we're together."

"We don't have to be married for that to happen, love."

"I want to live together while you're in college."

Tetsurou let out a soft hum. "Yeah. That would definitely be nice." He sighed, arms tightening briefly around her before pulling back to make eye contact with her. "If we're really doing this, you should know in non-magical Japan you have to have parental permission to marry before you're twenty."

"Really?!" But in England it was 18… she'd never even thought that might be an issue.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I looked it up a few days ago because I wasn't sure. Under the law you're basically emancipated, plus a foreign citizen and of marriageable age in your country, so you'd be fine, but I'll have to get my parents' permission. Not that I think they wouldn't let us! My mom's the one who first had the ambassadorship idea and they know we're already legally married and all that, but…." Tetsurou's voice trailed off and he looked off to the side.

"But that's how uncommon it is."

"Yeah. Most people here don't get married until they're almost 30, Mio."

"That's actually a little lower than the UK average."

Was she insane to be considering this? They were so young…

But they would be spending their lives together, either way.

Hermione hugged Tetsurou again, resting her head against his chest. "You haven't actually said what _you_ want, Tetsurou."

"I've never been one to care about what other people think, Mio. I know we're together. I know you're my soulmate. You're amazing, so showing you off would be nice, but I can already do that if we're dating. Living together definitely sounds nice, but we _can_ do that even if we don't get married."

Hermione scoffed. "Your society would hate that even more than if we got married young."

"If we stayed in the city it wouldn't be as bad." He shrugged. "And like I said, I don't really care what others think."

"I don't want you to have to choose universities based on needing to stay in the city, Tetsurou."

"I'd prefer to stay near home, though, so it's not that big of a deal… we have ways to get places quickly, sure, but we still have to account for a normal traveling time in most situations or it would look weird to anyone non-magical."

"The more options that are open, the better, though. And marrying in the non-magical world would let us keep more options open, even if people would think it odd since we're so young."

Tetsurou sighed. "But you actually want this? Marriage? A while ago you nearly went into shock at the thought."

"I was surprised, ok!" She frowned, looking back up at him. "And I've had a shift in my perspective a bit."

Tetsurou grinned at her. "I'll have to thank Bo."

"Kei-kun and Akaashi's talks helped a little, too."

"I'll thank Akaashi, as well, then."

Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "You're not going to thank Kei-kun?"

"As if—"

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

Hermione blushed, taking a step back before turning to see Kei approached with… the Johzenji boy? Kei hadn't told her that he had a date tonight!

As it was, her cousin was glaring at her, clearly annoyed by the position she'd been in, while… Terushima? Was grinning at them mischievously.

"Yo, cuz." Tetsurou waved unabashedly. Kei's scowl deepened.

Kei's date laughed, "Well aren't you two enjoying the evening. Don't mind us, I'd hate to interrupt."

"Why are you out here and not in the backyard or something?" Kei came to a stop a few feet away from them, his arms crossed.

Tetsurou shrugged, "Malfoy and the toddler are in the yard, and your parents are inside the house, so we had to make do."

"And that means making the whole neighborhood deal with your drama?"

Hermione blushed. She'd been so focused on dealing with her emotions that she hadn't really thought about where they'd been standing. "Sorry, I—" Hermione stopped as Tetsurou wound his arm around her shoulders.

"We didn't do anything, love. We were just talking."

Kei's eyebrow twitched. "Talking very close to each other."

She could feel Tetsurou shrug next to her, "Is that a crime?"

"Nope!" Terushima grinned up at Kei, "Think we could do some of that, ourselves?"

Kei stepped away from the older boy, "Don't push your luck."

"Aw, come on!" Terushima pouted, "I'm even being all gentlemanly and walking with you to your front door!"

Hermione smiled at his antics, "Did you two at least have a good time on your.. Um… date?"

"It wasn't a date."

"Totally was, beautiful. I paid, called you nicknames—"

"—Which I _still_ object to—"

"—and now we're having a romantic stroll home under the stars."

"We are _not_." Kei groaned, "I don't know why I even agreed to get to know you better."

"Because you think I'm interesting." Terushima winked at Kei, who blushed and turned away with a muttered protest.

Hermione smiled at the two. It was good to see Kei getting along with someone besides his teammates, even if he was adamant that it wasn't a date.

"You're annoying, that's what you are." Kei blushed, looking away. "Just go. You have a long train ride and I should walk back with these two nuisances to make sure they don't stop in the middle of the street again."

"We weren't in the middle of the street!" Hermione huffed. The middle of the sidewalk, sure, but she'd never walk in the middle of the street. It just wasn't proper. Or safe.

Kei rolled his eyes, "Might as well have been, nee-san, for all the attention you were paying to anything else."

She blushed. They hadn't been _that_ bad, had they?

Terushima gave a put upon sigh. "I suppose I'll head out, then. It was a lovely evening, Tsukki darling. I'll text you about our next meet-up."

Kei frowned, "You text too much."

"You know you don't mean that." Terushima grinned. "Otherwise you wouldn't reply." He spun on his heel, waving goodbye over his shoulders, "Later, losers!"

Hermione blinked at the abrupt departure. Terushima certainly was… a ball of energy, she supposed.

"Well, love, since we're obviously not welcome to take a walk in order to finish our conversation, what do you say we head back to the house?"

Hermione blushed, thinking back to the position they'd been in. At least they'd discussed the important topics. "That sounds fine. I… um, I still need to talk to you about some things, though." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

"Oh?" Tetsurou turned toward the house, slipping his hand into hers as they began walking back, Kei sighing and trudging along behind them.

"About your birthday. And the potion."

"Ah." Tetsurou grinned, "You planning something special, Mio?"

She frowned, "That's just it!" She raised her free hand, waving it in frustration, "You have a tournament on the day of your birthday, and while I know the tournament schedule, I also know you'll probably need to rest, or do a celebratory meal with the team, or something like that. So I have no clue when to plan anything."

Tetsurou laughed. "We can just do something the weekend after, love. That's fine with me."

"You sure?" Hermione frowned, uncertain. Harry and Ron were always so particular about the actual day of their birthdays… but she supposed with Ron's large family, and with Harry's childhood, it made sense.

"Of course. Surprise me."

Behind them, Kei spoke up, "I'm not expected to go to anything for your birthday, right?"

"Tsukki! I'm hurt! We're family!" Tetsurou stepped back, looping an arm around Kei's cringing shoulders. "Of course you're invited. You can bring blondie, too, if you want."

"Hell no. Dealing with you is enough of a headache."

Tetsurou laughed, completely unfazed. When he wouldn't move his arm, though, Kei elbowed him in the ribs, forcing him to double over and free Kei from his grasp.

"Ugh." Tetsurou slowly straightened up, "Why did I get stuck with the mean kouhai? Hinata would never do that to Bo."

"You're the one that decided to be my senpai, so you'll have to answer that yourself. I wanted nothing to do with it."

Hermione smiled at the two as Tetsurou complained that he had been being nice. The two kept bickering all the way back to the tent, but before Kei could retreat inside she grabbed his wrist. "Kei-kun, would you do us a favor and watch after Teddy a bit so we can talk with Malfoy alone?"

Kei frowned, staring at her for a second before he sighed and nodded. "Fine." He disappeared into the tent, and Hermione's shoulders relaxed in relief.

"You want to talk to Malfoy now?"

"We never established when we're starting to work on occlumsency or how often he wants to come to Japan."

"Ah." Tetsurou rubbed at the back of his neck, then glanced over to meet her eyes. "Before we get into that, though—"

 _You really are sure you want to do this now? You actually want to get married?_

Hermione blushed. _It's like the handholding thing back at camp—I don't want to hide what we are to each other. I know that will be shocking to a lot of people, and you'll probably face more of that since you're more connected to the muggle world, so really I'm just being selfish—"_

 _Mio, I can't be mad at you for wanting to show others how much you like me. You're terrible at remembering what's "proper" anyways—I don't know how many times you've called me by my first name in front of the team. At least you would have less to hide if we're actually married, but it's a big step._

 _We're soulmates, and we're already married in Japanese magical society._

 _Yeah, but that doesn't actually have to mean anything_.

 _What should we tell people, though? It's not like we could use my country's traditions as an excuse because anyone could look up English marriage traditions and they wouldn't get marrying each other as teenagers._

Tetsurou ran a hand through his hair, sighing. _We have a couple months to figure that out, I guess. I'm assuming you still want to push it back as far as possible and not get married like, tomorrow?_ He grinned at her.

 _Of course!_ Hermione frowned. _Which means it would happen in March. Isn't that when you graduate?_

 _Yes. And you'll have taken your NEWTS by that point, so we'll both be high school graduates and you'll have an actual job, at least._

 _That's good, but while you're in college your teammates will probably think—_

 _We'll deal with that when in happens._ Tetsurou pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on top of her hair. "We'll figure it out, ok? Just—"

Kei emerged from the tent and sighed when he saw them hugging again. "I can't leave you two alone, can I?"

"No one can even see us from the street, Kei-kun. The wall is too high."

"Still." He shifted Teddy in his arms, frowning as he looked down at the squealing toddler. "Try to be quick."

Hermione rolled her eyes, then grabbed Tetsurou's wrist and dragged him past her cousin. "I think the point of occlumsency is actually to take your time."

Kei groaned. "I am _not_ good with kids."

Hermione wasn't too concerned. Despite his claims, Kei-kun had done fine with Teddy so far. She pushed the tent flap aside, ducking underneath it. "Malfoy?"

"I'm back here." He emerged from the room he'd been staying in, straightening a shirt. "The brat drooled all over my other shirt, so I took the opportunity to change."

"Scourgify exists for a reason, Malfoy."

"That is hardly the same." Malfoy sneered at her. "Anyway, your cousin said you wanted to talk?"

"Yes." Right. Straight to the point. "How often are you wanting to visit?" That was what really mattered, after all. If she asked about what schedule would be best for their training, he'd just make up reasons to suit his preferences, anyway.

"Every other week should be fine—I'll give you things to practice in between."

That sounded fairly reasonable… they could probably manage it on top of their current study load. "That's feasible."

"Lovely." Malfoy flicked his wrist, and Hermione's wand was in her hand almost as fast as his own. He sighed. "I'm just going to show you a spell to help with meditating, Granger."

She frowned, but didn't sheath her wand. "Go ahead then."

He rolled his eyes and held up his wand, tip pointed downward as he moved it in a slow circle first clockwise while he inhaled, then counter-clockwise as he exhaled. "That's the wand movement, so it's fairly simple. It's important to count to five slowly while you do it—the timing of the circle will be the exact same timing of the element. Your strength is water, correct?"

"Yes." Tetsurou's hand tightened around hers.

"Figured as much after that bloody ice dragon." He closed his eyes, then began to swirl his wand again, this time encanting, "Orbis aquae tempo."

A sphere of water flowed out from Malfoy's wand, constricting and expanding in time with the movement. After a full cycle, Malfoy stopped moving his wand and let his hand drop to his side, but the orb still hung in midair, twisting in the same perpetual tempo. "We'll focus on learning this spell today, then you can practice breathing in time with the water over the next two weeks. Your goal is to focus on the water while breathing. Eventually, you shouldn't even need the water externally because the image will be ingrained in your head as you breathe."

Tetsurou sighed next to her. "Joy. A spell. You want to be here all night?"

Malfoy's eyebrow twitched. "It's a simple one, and I used your element. You should be fine."

Hermione squeezed Tetsurou's hand reassuringly. "Think of it as stirring a potion."

"Not all spells are potions, Mio." Tetsurou glared sullenly at her, then reluctantly pulled out his wand from the seam of his shorts. Malfoy grimaced at its location. "Let's get this misery over with."

Hermione really hoped it didn't _actually_ take them all night, but she would stay even if it did.

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for your sweet comments! I really appreciate all of them and they made me smile :D Sorry I've been gone so long, health stuff has been difficult and then I had some stressful irl events, but those are clear now! Well, health stuff is manageable and the irl stuff is clear :/ Anyway, I've returned again to this story! If you want to chat, come find me on tumblr at haruhi1020! I try to do weekly wip updates where I let ppl know what I'm working on and such. I also have a discord, so if you're interested in chatting about fics and/or anime dm me and I'll try to figure out how to get you a link! can be kind of finicky with those.

Also, I'm part of a group of fic writers who are creating fics for people who donate to blacklivesmatter and related causes, so if you are interested in that project and/or having a fic written for you, dm me for more info!


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